


Just Bite Me Already

by AtowncalledMalec



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, malec - Fandom
Genre: Alec Lightwood-Bane deserves nice things, Alec gets turned, Alec is Alive!, Angst, Bottom Alec Lightwood, Bottom Magnus Bane, Canon Divergance, Don't @ Me, F/M, Fluff, I'm so here for it, Immortal!Husbands, Lilith is shook!, M/M, Magnus Lightwood-Bane Deserves Nice Things, Major Character Undeath, Non Graphic Major Character Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Plot With Porn, Salty Husbands Ruling Edom, Smut, Switch Couple, Top Alec Lightwood, Top Magnus Bane, alternative ending, its a tag, set during 3x21, vampire!Alec
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-09
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2020-02-29 05:46:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 21
Words: 107,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18772432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtowncalledMalec/pseuds/AtowncalledMalec
Summary: And that was the crux of it for Alec. Because the question wasn’t, could he live with being a Vampire? It was, could he live without Magnus? Could he even live with himself if he stayed and left Magnus there? Left him to Lilith’s non-existent mercy?Alec Lightwood has only one option left to him when he finds out that Magnus Bane - stuck in Edom - alone - will have to face Lilith and her army. Become a Vampire and go save his man. All he has to do is convince his friends and family that it is a good idea because it's the only one available to him. Should be easy, right?These characters do not belong to me, they belong to cc and flopfail.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Major spoilers for anyone who hasn't watched 3x21 or 3x22. If you haven't watched and don't want to be spoiled, turn back now.
> 
>  
> 
> This is set during 3x21 after Alec finds out that Izzy is okay. The first third of this chapter is a direct excerpt from the show. it doesn't belong to me, it belongs to freefail. The rest is mine.
> 
> So I found the idea of Vampire!Alec too intriguing not to write. I also thought the storyline where Clary lost her runes was absolutely pointless. I'm not a Clace fan and even I could see that there was no need for that. The only plausible explanation that I could think of for them ending it like that was someone picking the characters up and doing a Tales From the Shadowhunter Acadamy spin-off with Clary instead of Simon. But we will see.
> 
> Anyway, no loss of runes for Clary here, just some good old Immortal!husbands. Alec gets turned in this fic. The reason that I'm spoiling it for you is that with him being turned, he obviously has to die. NOT my favourite thing that I have ever written. It isn't graphic at all but if you feel like you cannot read that, please turn back now. Please do not read it then come for me in the comments, I don't force anyone to read my work.

  
  


Alec Lightwood strode through the Institute hallways as quickly as he could, praying to the angel for the strength not to throttle Simon. When he had plucked the fire message from the air in Magnus’ apartment and read that his sister was in trouble, he had waited impatiently for Catarina to arrive before she had portalled him to the Institute. 

 

It had taken all of his political training not to burst into a fit of laughter when Catarina had inspected the Lizard and muttered a few words in Latin, only for Lorenzo Rey to burst from the tank in Magnus’ living room. It had been the first genuine smile on his face since Magnus had left for Edom. A lizard had seemed apt.

 

And now that smile was gone because the Vampire was telling him that Izzy had been set on fire. What. The. Fuck? Alec’s only thought, even through the cacophony of problems that swirled through his mind, was of getting to her. 

 

“What did you do to her?” Alec asked Simon as he wrenched another door open, on his way to the infirmary.

 

“I didn’t set her on fire… we were just kissing and then…” Simon trailed off when Alec raised a hand to stop him.  _ Shit. _ He hadn’t meant to say that, it had just kind of slipped out. And now he was about to get stabbed by very pointy swords. Or probably staked with one of Alec’s badass five tipped arrows.

 

“You were kissing my sister?” Alec asked, practically shuddering at the thought. Like all of Simon’s inane stories, he was positive that he didn’t want to hear this one. Then he rolled his eyes. Because of course, he was about to hear it.

 

“I mean, she was kissing me too and then..” Simon let out a deep sigh of relief when he saw Izzy approaching them. Half glad that she was okay - half glad that she had come to rescue him from her brother. Her big brother. The one with the deadly aim. Who hated him.

 

“Easy big brother,” Izzy sighed, wrapping her arms around Alec when he held his arms out to her.

 

“Izzy, I was so worried,” Alec said. She looked to be in one piece, not even a scratch on her but he still worried. “Is everything alright?” he asked, letting her go. 

 

“Just some temporary side effects… but I’m gonna be fine,” Izzy said. Maybe she could put telling them off until later, they were all going through so much, especially Alec. That’s what she told herself.

 

“Thank the angel You're alright,” Simon said, moving in for his turn to hug Izzy. Now that they had kissed, he wanted to keep her by his side, still surprised but extremely thankful that it had happened at all.

 

Ignoring the sinking feeling in her gut, Izzy turned to Simon, ready to pull him in tight, before she remembered that she couldn’t so she pulled back from him.  _ Awkward nod it is, _ she thought.

 

“What, am I not allowed to say that?” Simon asked when Izzy practically backed away from him. Had he broken one of their Shadowhunter laws or something? Why was Izzy looking at him like that?

 

“No, ah… uh…” what was she supposed to say to him? Thank the angel that Clary and Jace decided to save her ass from having to explain it all. Overwhelmed would be an understatement for how she was feeling right now.

 

“Izzy, hey, are you okay?” Jace asked when he reached his siblings. And Simon. Wrapping an arm around his sister, he gave her a tight squeeze- thankful that she was in one piece- before releasing her to Clary.

 

“We came as soon as we heard,” Clary said, holding Izzy for a moment as relief swept through her.

 

“Great, hugs for everybody else,” Simon said, stung that everyone except him had been allowed to hold her. 

 

“Simon… it…”  _ fuck! Why is this so hard?  _ Izzy wondered, feeling awful when she saw the hurt, plain on Simon’s face. It was one of the most endearing things about him, that he wore his emotions for others to see. She realised then that it was time to pull her big girl panties on.

 

“The heavenly fire- from when the sword exploded- until it leaves my system, I can’t touch anyone with demon blood,” Izzy said, seeing the shock that she was still dealing with, mirrored on all of their faces.

 

“For how long? Are we talking Days? Weeks? Months…?” Simion asked, stepping forward. He really wanted to hug Izzy right then.

 

“I… don’t know…” Izzy said with a sad shake of her head, feeling moisture start to gather in the corners of her eyes. “I don’t know. But it’s gonna be fine, okay? It’s manageable,” she said with a tight smile and a nod for Simon’s benefit.

 

Jace’s eyebrows rose, right along with his confusion, as he watched the dynamic between Izzy and Simon play out. Looking up at Alec, he noticed the awkward expression on Alec’s face before his gaze flicked between Simon and Izzy.

 

“What’s going on here?” Jace gestured between Izzy and Simon, looking at them all. Why did Clary have a half smirk on her face?

 

“Isabelle and Simon were kissing when this happened,” Alec said, gesturing between the two in question.  _ Exactly _ , he thought when Jace’s eyebrows lodged themselves in his blonde hairline. And Clary was still wearing that smirk. Or was it a grin?

 

“What?” Jace asked. It was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. Even when Izzy started speaking, he couldn’t help but let his gaze wander from Izzy to Simon and back again, mystified as to why she would kiss Simon. Why anyone would kiss Simon?

 

“Please tell me you have a lead on Jonathan?” Izzy asked. There were more important things to talk about than her love life. 

 

“Yeah,” Jace said, still staring at Simon. “We uh, tracked down a demon known for associating with the clave, on Wall Street. He didn’t have any information on Jonathan.”

 

“But he did have news on Lilith,” Clary said, turning away from her awesome best friend, who had finally gotten his shit together and gone for it with the obvious love of his life, her other best friend. 

 

“What kind of news?” Alec asked, a hole forming in the pit of his stomach. Knowing that he wouldn’t like whatever it was, he had to brace himself for the news.

 

“She’s ah, gathering an army. To take down Magnus,” Clary said, delivering what felt like a killing blow. Alec’s pain was almost palpable.

 

“She’ll kill him,” Alec said, his head going into overdrive with plans to get Magnus back. He really didn’t need Jace’s next words.

 

“And if she does, the rift will reopen,” Jace said, feeling awful for his brother.

 

“He sacrificed everything to save us. If he’s going up against Lilith, I have to be there with him,” Alec said. There was no other option. He would  _ not  _ leave Magnus down there all alone to face her. He couldn’t lose Magnus, not again, in such a permanent way.

 

“Alec, you know that if any of us went to Edom, we’d die, instantly,” Clary said, trying to get through to Alec. It couldn’t be done.

 

“The atmosphere is demonic. But maybe I can go. My heavenly fire might protect me,” Izzy chimed in, the only one with a chance in hell of surviving down there.

 

“No,” Alec said, putting his foot down. He wasn’t about to let his little sister risk herself like that. Magnus was his man, his fiance. If anyone was going down there, it was him. He quickly thought through the situation before continuing, an idea starting to form.

 

“No, only someone with demon blood would be able to survive there,” Alec said, the idea cementing itself. It was his only option. “Simon,” he said, turning to the Vampire.

 

“I don’t have my mark anymore but I’m sure… if you gave me enough swords… maybe I can…” Simon shrugged before Alec cut him off.

 

“No, I need you to turn me into a Vampire so I can go,” Alec said. It was the only way. 

 

“What? Alec, are you out of your mind?” Jace asked, his eyes boggling, flat out refusing to believe what he had just heard.

 

“What else am I supposed to do?” Alec asked, ignoring the looks - that clearly said he had lost it - they were all aiming at him. He didn’t need their judgements, he needed their help. “Please, just let me try this?” he asked.

 

“Absolutely not,” Izzy stated.

 

Jace and Clary just stared at Alec. He had officially lost it.

 

“Izzy’s right, I’m a terrible sire,” Simon said, shaking his head. It was a disastrous plan.

 

“We’ll find another way,” Clary said, seeing the madness of it.

 

“What other way?” Alec asked, unable to stop his voice from rising. Why couldn’t any of them see? It  _ was  _ the only way. “Huh? Tell me. Tell me something. Any of you?” he asked.

 

Dropping his arms, Alec stormed off. They just didn’t get it. They all had their people, the ones that they couldn’t live without. His person was stuck in Edom, because Magnus had saved all of their asses, again. 

 

“I don’t want to hear it, Jace,” Alec said when he realised that his brother had followed him into the op’s centre. 

 

“Have you lost your mind?” Jace asked, grabbing Alec’s arm to stop his forward motion. “You can’t just turn… you can’t just turn yourself into a Vampire,” he finished in a whisper. They were attracting notice.

 

“Can’t I? What if it was Clary, huh? What would you do?” Alec asked, looking down into Jace’s eyes. “Exactly. You wouldn’t think twice. I’m doing this,” he said when Jace dropped his gaze. Jace could deny it but they both knew that it would be a lie. His patience wore thin when Simon approached them.

 

“We’re gonna start looking through the archives to see if we can find another way,” Simon said, choosing to ignore the relieved sigh that Jace huffed out, as offended as he was. The importance of what he needed to say had him reaching out and taking Alec’s arm, pulling him closer.

 

“You need to think, Alec, about all of the repercussions of what you’re asking if we can’t find another way. Can you really give up your mortality?” Simon asked, watching for Alec’s reaction. He continued when Alec didn’t answer him. 

 

“Because believe me, when you’re actually staring an immortal life in the face, those vampire movies don’t seem as glamorous as they’re made out to be. This isn’t something that you can just decide on a whim like that,” Simon said.

 

“It isn’t a whim. It’s the only option that I have available to me,” Alec said, narrowing his gaze on Simon. 

 

“Wasn’t it? You didn’t even think about it. You just blurted it out,” Simon retorted, lowering his voice. There were a lot of people watching them.

 

“Doesn’t that prove how serious I am? That was my first reaction,” Alec said. It had been his first instinct, to do anything to get to Magnus. And he was nothing without his instincts, they had saved his ass more time than he could count and he had learned to listen to those instincts years ago.

 

“Think about it, properly,” Simon said. With that, Simon walked away. It was Alec’s decision, sure. But he wasn’t just going to turn Alec on a whim. And honestly, he really didn’t want to.

 

Alec watched Simon go, Jace leaving with him after one long, pleading look. What did they know? Of course, he had thought about it. It was Magnus. Letting out a deep sigh, Alec turned on his heel and headed for his office, Simon’s words floating through his head. 

 

_ Think about it. Properly.  _

 

So that’s what Alec did, all day. Not that he would admit to anyone that Simon had actually given him some good advice. He sat in his office, constantly twisting his engagement ring around his finger as he went through it all, again and again, in his head. The ramifications. 

 

_ I would be immortal.  _

_ I would never age and die. _

_ I would be a slave to the impulses of the night children. _

_ I would have to live off blood. _

_ Almost everyone that I love would leave me. _

_ I’d have to leave them to go to Edom. _

_ I’d be turning my back on the only life I’ve ever known and starting all over again. _

_ Eternity is a long, long time.  _

_ What if I hate it? _

_ What if I come to hate myself for the decision I had made? _

_ What if I came to resent Magnus for it? _

_ Would I? _

 

All Alec knew was that he couldn’t live without Magnus. The days when he had stuck to Asmodeus’ deal had been the worst of his life, each hour feeling like an eternity of its own. Sure, he had been a proper Shadowhunter about it. Followed the ethos that a real Shadowhunter shouldn’t let emotions cloud his judgement and gotten on with it. 

 

That was a crock of shit. He had done what he had been doing since the first day he had noticed another boy - and realised that he hadn’t ever noticed a girl  _ that way _ . Shut his face down, pull his back up straight, forced the world to see what he wanted them to see. A stone mask that hid the turmoil beneath. 

 

But inside, it had almost killed him. Trying to live without Magnus was like trying to live without air. Impossible. So he made a list of pros. If he was going to look at the cons, he needed to weigh it against something. His analytical, tactician’s brain would let him do nothing else. 

 

_ I would be with Magnus.  _

_ We would never have to have the talk about immortality again. _

_ He would probably do the same for me if our positions were reversed. _

_ He would never have to face the day where he puts me in his memory box and has to move on. _

_ I would never have to leave him. _

_ The few short years that we are allowed would stretch into centuries.  _

_ I could save him.  _

_ He wouldn’t have to spend his eternity alone, rotting in Edom without me. _

_ We could have the life that we have both waited so long for. _

_ I could have everything that I ever wanted. _

 

The last one was a dizzying thought. As a child, he had never even dared to hope that he would end up with the life that he wanted. The clave didn’t allow for such things as personal happiness. A Shadowhunter sacrificed everything for duty. He had accepted the life that had been mapped out for him. A wife, a prestigious position, all the honour that he could gain for the glorious Lightwood dynasty.

 

And then Magnus had come along and shown him that he didn’t have to live with what others decided for him. That he was allowed to hope and dream of a better life, one that he chose for himself.

 

If it wasn’t for Magnus, he would be married to Lydia, doing a meaningless job. His life would be one big grey stretch of misery with no warmth. His mother would be expecting grandchildren. His father would be expecting him to push his way to the top of the clave. Other Shadowhunters would live the same life too, ones like him who had had their courage beaten down, time and time again.

 

All of that, the future that he had faced, would have come to fruition if Magnus hadn’t stormed into his wedding and his life, and changed it irrevocably, for the better. So Alec compiled a list of reasons why he should do it, as the afternoon sun turned to night outside of his office windows.

 

_ Magnus is there alone. _

_ Lilith is going after him. _

_ I can’t leave him to face an army on his own. _

_ He went there for me, for all of us. _

_ He is the only thing that is keeping us safe. _

_ We are engaged, we promised each other the forever that we had been allowed. Now that forever could actually mean forever. _

_ I need this pain of being without him to be gone. _

_ I can’t live without him. _

 

That was the deciding factor for Alec, he couldn’t live without Magnus. As much as he was holding it together on the outside, he was a mess on the inside where nobody could see it. Every second since Magnus had disappeared into that portal and restored the rift had felt like an unending eternity of pain and loneliness. He was barely holding the pieces of himself together. 

 

How was he supposed to live without Magnus when he could barely breathe any time he thought of his fiance or any time someone mentioned his name? Could he really go another forty, fifty, sixty years without him? As much as he had tried to convince himself that it was only Edom, it wasn’t. It wasn’t “only” anything. It was an entirely different realm and there were no guarantees that Magnus would ever be able to come back. 

 

And that was the crux of it for Alec. Because the question wasn’t, could he live with being a Vampire? It was, could he live without Magnus? Could he even live with himself if he stayed and left Magnus there? Left him to Lilith’s non-existent mercy?

 

“Fuck no,” Alec mumbled out loud, staring down at the platinum ring on his finger, the promise to Magnus that he would be there for him, always. It was the match of the one on Magnus’ finger, the ring that he had placed there himself. The consequences of becoming a Vampire were nothing compared to what it would feel like to break those promises.

 

“You’re a Lightwood. You break noses and deal with the consequences,” Alec muttered to himself. Pulling his stele out, he sent a couple of urgent fire messages to Meliorn and Lorenzo - needing a favour from them - before turning his attention to the task of saying goodbye to his family.

 

Taking a notepad and pen out of his desk, Alec started drafting letters, one each for his friends and family, explaining how much he loved them and why he felt like he had to do this, and one for Jia - a resignation letter. It wasn’t just his family and life that he was leaving behind, it was the career that had been mapped out for him since before he was born too. He also drafted an agreement, stating that he had asked Simon to turn him.

 

Placing the letters into envelopes, Alec looked down at the stack in front of him. Each letter contained his apologies, his love, the advice that they would have sought out from him when any of them would need his guidance. He had placed as much of himself as he could into the pen strokes but that was all he could do. And he was at peace with the decision that he had made. They would be too, in time. 

 

Alec put the stack of letters in his desk drawer for one of them to find. Collecting his agreement, he took one last look around the place before he heaved himself up from behind his desk and went in search of the others.

 

Whether they liked it or not, Alec had to do this. Not just for Magnus but also for himself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MCD Warning. This is the chapter where Alec is turned. I'm telling you now so that you can decide if you want to read or not. It isn't graphic at all but it's obviously sad. Unfortunately, If he wants to become a Vampire, it has to be done.

Alec found the others in the library, pouring over ancient tomes and scrolls, going through clave files on their IPad's, all of them looking like they hadn't eaten or slept in days. Even if it was the same day. 

 

“Found anything?” Alec asked the assembled group, already knowing the answer. The despondent shakes of their heads and mutters aimed in his direction were all the answers he needed.

 

“Then we go with my original plan,” Alec said, ignoring everyone else and picking his way towards Simon through the piles of books. The violent shake of Simon’s head, the Vampire’s eyes widening, had him raising an eyebrow. “I’ve made my decision, Simon,” he sighed.

 

“Alec, you can’t. We’ll find a way,” Jace said, dropping the huge book that he had been skimming.

 

“You’ve all been looking for hours and you haven’t found one yet. And all of this time, Lilith will have been gaining strength,” Alec said exasperatedly. “This is the only way,” he said, looking them all in the eye before turning back to Simon. 

 

“You can shake your head all you like but I am going, Simon. And you’re going to turn me,” Alec said, folding his arms across his chest.

 

“Come on man, there has to be another way, something else that we can try…?” Simon tried, begging everyone else with his eyes, any of them, to step in and save him. 

 

“Alec, please, I can’t lose you. You’re my parabatai,” Jace said, resorting to low blows out of desperation. “Think of what it would do to our bond if you became a vampire.”

 

“You can’t ask that of me, Jace. Think of me. What it will do to me to have to live without him. I don’t just owe him, I love him. He’s everything to me. You all know that there could never be anyone else for me,” Alec said, trying to make them see. Maybe some of them were starting to. Clary was staring at Jace with an unfathomable expression on her face, as though she was considering what she would do in his position.

 

Alec never thought that Fairchild would be the first one on his side but the small nod that she gave him, gave him hope that the others would come around. And he dearly hoped that it would be soon because he was fast running out of time to convince them. Lilith probably grew stronger, in power and numbers, with every passing moment.

 

“Please, Alec, think about what you’re doing,” Izzy asked, tugging on Alec’s hand to capture his attention. Maybe it was selfish of her but he was her big brother, she didn’t want to lose him.

 

“I have, Iz. I’ve thought about nothing else all day. I can’t leave him there. I don’t know how long this has been going on…” Alec said, gesturing between her and Simon. “... but could you leave Simon to face a horde of demons because of a hard decision?” he asked.

 

“But you’re talking about giving your mortality and life up. There is no coming back from this, Alec. Are you ready to live forever?” Izzy asked desperately.

 

“Believe me. I’ve had the immortality conversation with Magnus, and with myself, more times than I can count,” Alec said, taking Izzy’s hand. “When Magnus lost his magic and his immortality, he lost a part of himself. It made me realise how selfish I was being, wanting to keep him with me as a mortal. And believe me, I thought about it. But that wasn’t my decision to make, and I should never have expected it of him.”

 

“But what, he should expect it of you?” Izzy asked petulantly, looking around at the rest of them for backup. She loved Magnus like a brother already and watching them exchange rings in Alicante had been one of the proudest moments of her life but that didn’t mean she could give him up without a fight. Even if she felt the metal of Alec’s ring press into her hand where she gripped his.

 

“No, he loves me, which is why he has never asked it of me,” Alec said, a soft smile gracing his face. Magnus had never once asked him to give his mortality up. He knew it wasn’t because Magnus didn’t love him enough to ask him for forever. But because Magnus loved him so much that he would never ask him to saddle himself with an immortal existence.

 

“This is something that you need to think about too, Iz. Simon is immortal. You’ll have to leave him one day. Are you prepared for that?” Alec asked, pulling his sister into a hug, seeing that his words were getting through to the others, even Jace. Even if his parabatai looked miserable, hand in hand with Clary.

 

Was it fair of him to use Izzy's relationship against her, just to get her to see his side? No. But neither was it fair that Magnus was stuck in Edom, facing the battle of his life, alone. It wasn’t fair that he and Magnus had been through so much, just for him to lose Magnus again. And it wasn’t fair that they had just gotten engaged before Magnus had to sacrifice himself without knowing if they would get their happy ending. 

 

Could Alec truly say that he could live with himself if he didn’t make those same sacrifices? Sure, Magnus would kick his ass if he ever said that in front of him. But it was still a question that he asked himself.

 

Alec also wanted his sister to think about what it meant to have an immortal lover. That issue had been a bone of contention between him and Magnus for so long. It had taken him witnessing Magnus’ breakdown to understand and accept that Magnus was immortal while he would fade into obscurity. But he had accepted it. And Izzy needed to have that conversation with herself too.

 

Izzy sagged against Alec for a moment, cursing the angel that he was right. It wasn’t fair. Alec shouldn’t have to sacrifice himself. But then again, neither should Magnus have had to. And he had. Magnus had given everything up for them. Now it was their turn to give something up for him. Even if it was Alec.

 

“I can’t leave him, Iz, not even to stay here for you. I’m sorry but I’m going,” Alec said quietly when her arms came around him. He had spent his entire life - the only life he had - living for others, for family and duty. If he only got one life, he had to live it for himself. It was time for him to be selfish and take his life, and Magnus’ fate, into his own hands. Bending his head, he dropped a kiss onto her head when she nodded into his chest.

 

“Jace, I need you on my side for this. Please?” Alec asked over Izzy’s head. “You couldn’t leave Clary to face that on her own, don’t ask me to do it,” he asked.

 

Jace stared up at his brother before a tight squeeze on his hand caught his attention. The small nod that Clary gave him when he looked at her, had him shaking his head. Alec had stood by him through everything that Lilith had put him through, sacrificed everything, had been willing to sacrifice his life at the end with an arrow in his heart and forgiveness on his lips. It was his turn, even if it meant losing him.

 

Jace crossed the room and wrapped his arms around Alec and Izzy, feeling like he was losing half of himself. He was losing half of himself but he could do it, for Alec. Because his brother was right, he wouldn't have been able to leave Clary in Edom. 

 

Alec slapped Jace on the back and gave Izzy a kiss on the cheek before accepting a hug from Clary. “Look after them, please?” he asked her quietly, having to stoop to whisper in her ear.

 

“You’d best believe it. I’m gonna ask Izzy to be my parabatai,” Clary whispered back, grinning when Alec pulled back to look at her. It had been a long time in coming but there was gratitude and love on Alec’s face, two things that she had never thought she would see there. She gave his hand a squeeze when he nodded before everyone turned to Simon.

 

“Why me though? Your mom’s gonna kick my ass if I bite anymore of her kids,” Simon groaned when everyone turned expectantly to him. 

 

“Because I don’t have time to find anyone else, Simon,” Alec said. Simon was there, it wasn’t like there was a line of vampires for him to choose from. “Come on. It’s just one bite,” he said. 

 

“One bite,” Simon choked out, feeling supremely uncomfortable under their combined gaze. A knock on the door, and the head of security - poking his head in - saved his ass right then. 

 

“Sir, Meliorn is here to see you. He says it is at your request,” Underhill said when he received permission to enter, looking around the room. Everyone there looked like they had just lost their best friend.

 

“Thank you, Underhill,” Alec said, clasping his hands behind his back and gesturing for Underhill to show the Seelie night in, playing with his ring once more to ground himself. It had become something of a habit and honestly, he glowed with pride whenever other people noticed the gesture and saw his ring, something that he never thought he would love to wear. It had always meant a loveless marriage in the past, not what he shared with Magnus. 

 

“Meliorn, thank you for coming on such short notice,” Alec said, pulling himself out of his reverie to dismiss Underhill and observe formalities with a court envoy, even if it wasn’t strictly official business that he had called Meliorn there for.

 

“Your note sounded… urgent,” Meliorn said, choosing not to sit when he was offered a chair. The mood in the air was sombre at best and he preferred to be standing in a room full of Shadowhunters. The beautiful Isabelle being the exception.

 

“I need your help. I have to ask you to place the mark of Cain on me,” Alec asked. There was no point in beating around the bush, he didn’t have time for it for a start. “Enough. It has to be this way,” he said when the others started protesting.

 

“And why would I do that?” Meliorn asked, sniffing a possible deal but keeping his cards close to his chest.

 

“Because if you do, I will owe you a favour,” Alec said, under no doubt that this would cost him. Open-Ended favours were never a good thing when it came to the court but he was fast running out of options.

 

“Alec, trust me. You don’t want to do this man,” Simon said, bounding forward to talk in Alec’s ear. “That mark is a curse, it brings nothing but death and destruction. It isn’t the answer.”

 

“What else am I supposed to do, huh? I won’t be a Shadowhunter anymore. I’ll be facing Lilith with nothing more than a pair of fangs and some extra speed. And she has Cain with her, remember,” Alec whispered pointedly, including them all in his stink eye. He hadn’t forgotten how they had all summoned Lilith and practically hand-delivered Cain to her. 

 

“There is a problem with your request,” Meliorn said, capturing Alec’s attention, his eyes narrowed at the whispered conversation that he was not privy to. He hated when people whispered, he liked all of the facts laid out in front of him. “You are a Shadowhunter. You would not be able to handle the mark, it is too powerful and not compatible with Nephilim blood.”

 

“That’s where Simon comes in,” Alec muttered before another knock on the door sounded. “Come in,” he called out, one eye on the door and one eye on Meliorn. He didn’t like the intrigued expression on the Seelie’s face.

 

“Mr Lightwood. If we are going to have a council meeting, could you at least extend me the courtesy of waiting until I arrive before starting?” Lorenzo asked, shaking hands with the devilishly handsome Shadowhunter who had shown him to the room. Andrew, the man had informed him. 

 

Snapping his fingers, Lorenzo handed a business card with his number on it to the Shadowhunter with a smile, his hand lingering for a second, before joining the others in the room.

 

“This is not a council meeting. I need a favour of you, Lorenzo,” Alec said, his eyes flicking from Underhill to Lorenzo and back before Andrew closed the door. Was Underhill blushing? Personally, he didn’t see it but, if Lorenzo tickled Underhill’s pickle, then who was he to comment?

 

“A favour? I think not. As I told you before, I am not your errand boy, here at your beck and call. If this is what you have called me here for, I’m afraid I will have to disappoint you,” Lorenzo said, turning for the door. 

 

“I need you to open a portal into Edom for me,” Alec said to Lorenzo’s retreating back, stopping the Warlock in his tracks.

 

“Why? Why would I help you after the way I have been treated by you and your boyfriend?” Lorenzo asked with a saccharine smirk. “He let his father turn me into a reptile and left me to feast on dead flies. Not to mention the number of times either of you has burst into my home with your demands.”

 

“Because you would still be sitting in a tank, living off those dead flies if it wasn’t for me,” Alec said, wanting to throttle the man.

 

“You were simply rectifying Magnus’ poor judgement call. Try again,” Lorenzo said, very much enjoying having the Head of the Institute at his mercy. “I am the High Warlock of Brooklyn, not some Warlock for rent. You will have to think of something better than that.”

 

“Because Magnus is trapped there with Lilith. If she gains enough power, she could overthrow him and open the rift back up. This realm would be overrun with demons,” Clary said when Alec looked like he was about to lose his shit.

 

“How long do you think it will take her and her horde to make its way through this realm and destroy everything that you hold dear?” Alec asked, keenly aware of the fact that they were wasting time. At least Lorenzo looked like he was considering it.

 

“What is the point of being High Warlock of Brooklyn when there’s nothing left of Brooklyn?” Jace asked, irritated by Lorenzo’s superior tone. “Do you really want to be the known as the Warlock who was responsible for letting Lilith loose in this realm when you could have helped out?” he asked.

 

“Plus, you will get rid of me,” Alec added, rolling his eyes when that seemed to sweeten the deal.

 

“Fine, let us begin. I have a ball to attend in Madrid this evening,” Lorenzo said, practically rubbing his hands together. First Magnus was gone, now Alec would be going too. Maybe he would get a bit of peace without those two thorns in his side.

 

“Actually, it won’t be today. We have some preparations to attend to,” Alec said, his eyes flicking to Simon, who just looked resigned now. “We’ll send you a fire message when we need you,” he said, dismissing Lorenzo and turning to Meliorn.

 

“How will you repay my favour if I do this for you?” Meliorn asked when Lorenzo left, intrigued by the whole idea. “You will be in Edom. How do you expect to repay me from there?” 

 

“You have until I have transitioned to decide what you want. If it’s within my power to give it to you, it is yours before I go,” Alec said, breathing a sigh of relief when Meliorn bowed his head before departing. 

 

“Right, Simon. You’re up,” Alec said, shrugging his jacket off then and there, and tilting his head to the side to expose his neck. 

 

“Right now? As in, here, in the institute? You just want me to… bite you- the Head of the Institute- with all of your Shadowhunters on the other side of the door?” Simon asked, pacing out of agitation, his eyes darting to Alec’s neck on every turn.

 

“You sure you don’t want him to buy you a drink first?” Jace asked Alec, unable to help himself.

 

“Shut up Jace,” Alec said, rolling his eyes. It wasn’t funny. “Simon, come on, we’re wasting time.”

 

“Yeah, shut up Jace,” Simon muttered weakly, staring at Alec’s neck. Shaking himself off, he looked at Izzy. Would she hate him for turning her brother? For taking him away from her.

 

“It’s okay, Simon, this is what he wants,” Izzy said, sensing Simon’s worry. It was written all over his face. It wasn’t what she wanted but it was Alec’s decision. She couldn’t blame Simon for that. She also couldn’t stick around to watch.

 

Alec wrapped his arms around Izzy when she flung herself at him and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Love you Iz,” he whispered.

 

“I love you too, you jerk,” Izzy whispered, pulling herself away from Alec and turning for the door before he could see her cry. 

 

“I’ll go,” Clary said when she saw Jace take a step towards the door. “Good luck, Alec,” she said around the lump in her throat before following after Izzy. She had seen the tears swimming in her future parabatai’s eyes.

 

“I’m not going anywhere, someone needs to be here to pull him off you if he gets carried away,” Jace said when Alec and Simon looked at him, as though they were waiting for him to leave too.

 

“I can control myself,” Simon scoffed, even if he was secretly glad that Jace wouldn’t let him go too far. 

 

“Thanks,” Alec said, not really sure how he felt about Jace being there. Would it be weird to have his brother watch them? It was already weird, he was asking his sister’s new boyfriend to turn him into a vampire. So he shrugged and shuffled closer to Simon, exposing his neck once more.

 

“Wait, wait, wait, give me a second to think. I don’t know how to do this,” Simon mumbled when Alec came at him - neck first - blatantly stalling for time. “Okay, when Camille turned me, she Encanto’d me first, and when I turned Heidi, we were both pretty wasted with blood lust so could I just like… can I… should I Encanto you?” he asked.

 

“And you want him to be your sire?” Jace snorted, folding his arms across his chest to stare at Simon in disbelief. 

 

Alec gave Jace a glare before focusing on Simon again, trying to control his impatience. Shaking his head, he pulled the contract and a pen out of his pocket and signed his name before passing it to Simon.

 

“Sign this then Encanto me,” Alec said. If that was how Simon wanted to do it then he would go along with it. It wasn’t like he had many options. Or like he had been to many turnings. How was he supposed to know the specifics?

 

Simon scribbled his name on the sheet of paper when he saw what it was, smiling at Alec and going in for a hug. He was touched that Alec would pardon him, that his future brother-in-law didn’t want him getting in trouble with the clave.

 

Alec slammed the heel of his hand into Simon’s forehead when Simon came at him with arms wide open, stopping Simon’s forward motion. The shake of his head warned Simon in no uncertain terms that he wasn’t getting a hug.

 

Jace grinned with glee when Simon tried to hug Alec, practically rubbing his hands together. He snatched the paper from Simon’s hand and signed it as a witness, humming Marvin Gaye’s  _ let's get it on _ , under his breath so he didn’t have to think about what he was doing, signing his parabatai’s death certificate.

 

“Fuck off, Jace. Or I’ll do this without you,” Alec said, glaring at his brother. Jace holding his hands up in mock innocence had him glaring harder until Simon caught his attention.

 

“Dude, you smell really nice. What aftershave are you wearing?” Simon asked as he stepped closer, trying to make small talk and ignore Jace in the corner.

 

“Stop making it weird,” Alec mumbled, trying not to look Simon in the eye, they were practically nose to nose. He was wearing Magnus’ sandalwood aftershave but Simon didn’t need to know that. “Just bite me already.” 

 

“Fine. Look at me,” Simon said, realising that he could stall no longer. Meeting Alec’s gaze, he used his super awesome vampire mojo to take control of Alec, watching Alec’s pupils start to dilate. “This won’t hurt. You won’t feel any pain or fear. It’s as normal as getting your shots. You won’t fight it unless I go too far. If I do, you will stop me by any means necessary,” he said, watching Alec nod. 

 

Jace shuffled closer when Simon wrapped one arm around Alec’s waist- Simon’s other hand tilting Alec’s head further to hold him steady- and watched Simon’s fangs snap out. For all of his jokes, he was ready if Simon turned rogue. 

 

Jace was also ready to catch the pair of them because he knew that about ten seconds after Simon’s fangs pierced Alec’s throat, the pleasure would consume them both and neither of them would give a fuck about staying on their feet. He hadn’t forgotten what it had been like when Simon had fed on him, it had been one of the hottest experiences of his life. Not that he would admit that out loud.

 

Simon pressed his lips to Alec’s throat, finding the perfect vein unerringly, and sank his fangs into Alec’s skin. Holding Alec’s waist tighter when Alec stiffened in his arms, he let his venom work it’s way into Alec’s system, using a strength of resolve that he didn’t know he possessed to stop from just draining Alec dry like a big gulp.

 

Alec couldn’t stop the moan that poured from his lips when Simon’s venom slipped into his bloodstream. He honestly couldn’t give a fuck about the noise, too focused on the waves of heady, hazy pleasure that rippled through him with every beat of his heart. It was even better when Simon started to drink from him, Simon’s lips gentle on his neck, negating the inch long fangs that he had been embedded in his throat.

 

Simon tightened his grip on Alec’s waist and chin, pulling Alec closer to his body. It was a natural instinct, from the divine, heavenly tasting blood that slid down his throat like honey, and the deep moan. He sucked harder, pressing his lips flush to Alec’s skin to create a tighter seal so none of the blood could escape, his own moan mingling with Alec’s and ringing out through the room. 

 

Baggies kept Simon alive, technically. But fresh blood, especially Nephilim blood, was something else. Alec tasted just as good as Isabelle, almost as good as Jace. That had been some grade A blood. The taste of the blood almost had him growling when he felt a presence approach them, someone encroaching on his dinner. It set off his natural predatory instincts, to protect his meal.

 

Jace could see that both Simon and Alec were about to keel over so he wrapped his arms around both of them, pushing and lowering Simon until he was seated on the couch. He had no choice but to sit Alec in Simon’s lap with Simon’s fangs still buried in Alec’s throat. Did they have to make those odd moans?  _ Yeah, they do,  _ he thought. He had been just as bad when Simon had drunk his blood. 

 

Alec’s eyes fluttered closed, a mixture of pleasure and sleepiness working their way through him. Luckily, Simon had extra strength. If he didn’t, he probably would have slumped into a boneless mess. The sensation that flooded every inch of his body, through his bloodstream, made him limp and pliable.

 

Simon tightened his grip further when Alec slumped into him. The movement and the laboured, shallow breaths in his ear snapped him out of the bloodlust that was threatening to take over him. Blinking his eyes open, he looked up and met Jace’s concerned gaze for a second before Jace looked away, giving him a chance to pull his fangs out of Alec’s neck. His tongue darted over the puncture wounds, stopping the bleeding instantly.

 

Alec’s eyes drifted open, his fuzzy head starting to clear a little. It took him all of ten seconds to realise that he was sitting in Simon’s lap, Simon’s arms wrapped around him tightly, and to notice that Jace was hovering above them.

 

“Did you know it was going to be like that?” Alec mumbled to his brother, breaking Simon’s hold on him and lurching to his feet, his legs wobbly and head woozy.

 

“Uh, like downing half a bottle of tequila, taking a load of mundane drugs and… the other thing?” Jace asked, refusing to look Alec or Simon in the eye.

 

“Yes, the other thing,” Alec muttered, also avoiding both men’s gazes as he slumped down onto the couch, touching his neck gingerly. It wasn’t exactly sexual, not like he wanted to jump Simon’s bones. Probably because he didn’t want Simon like that. But the whole moaning - hazy tingles shooting through his body - arms with a tight grip on his waist - thing had taken him by surprise. If he had known it would be so intimate, he would have looked a bit harder for another vampire.

 

“Yeah,” Jace said, clearing his throat. He hadn’t signed up for this.

 

“And you didn’t warn me because?” Alec asked, finally focusing on his brother. His head still felt a bit woolly. 

 

“Uh, because it’s Simon,” Jace said, raising one incredulous eyebrow. “Why, how many people are you going to tell about this?” he asked in his best imitation of a middle schooler.

 

“None,” Alec grumbled, shaking his head.

 

“Thanks, guys, I’m feeling the love,” Simon said because apparently, the atmosphere didn’t feel awkward enough. It struck him then that he had gotten more action from Jace and Alec than he had from Isabelle, making him groan. “I don’t think any of us need to talk about this again,” he said. 

 

“Agreed,” Alec and Jace muttered at the same time. 

 

“You uh… you still need to have some of my blood… the venom wasn’t enough,” Simon muttered, barely able to look at Alec as he tilted his own head.

 

“Hand!” Alec practically yelled, his voice hoarse and gruff. After that experience - which he never wanted to think of again - he was too weirded out to drink from Simon’s neck.

 

Simon huffed out a sigh of relief and nicked his wrist with one fang before holding his arm out to Alec. It took everything he had not to let so much as a whimper escape his lips when Alec’s lips wrapped around his wrist.

 

Alec would have gritted his teeth if he hadn’t had Simon’s wrist in his mouth. Firmly reminding himself that this was the only way, he sucked the puncture wound that Simon had given himself, trying not to gag when Simon’s blood started to flow. It was more of a psychological reaction than physical because Simon’s blood didn’t taste as awful as he had been expecting, it tasted good! Oh great, it was just as bad - good - bad as when Simon had fed from him.

 

“Look at that, family bonding!” Jace couldn’t help himself when he saw the two men on the couch straining not to moan. Pulling his phone out, he threatened to snap a picture of them, watching Simon’s eyeballs roll back and Alec breathing hard.

 

If looks could kill, Alec would have murdered his parabatai stone dead where he stood. Unlatching his lips from Simon’s arm, he swallowed one last mouthful before letting a shaky breath out. Now he definitely couldn’t look Simon in eye. Not when Simon’ tongue darted over his wrist to close the wound up as he got his breath back.

 

Alec looked up at Jace then with the unspoken question in his eyes, raising an eyebrow at his brother when Jace started shaking his head, his parabatai backing away.

 

“No, no way. Please don’t ask me to do it,” Jace said, hands up when he saw the question in Alec’s eyes. 

 

“There is nobody else, Jace. Who am I supposed to ask? Izzy? Clary? Simon? I can’t do it by myself,” Alec said, clearing the gruffness from his throat. 

 

“Why? You refused to do it for me. You’re my brother, my parabatai… I can’t,” Jace pleaded, his gut twisting. Watching Simon feed on him had been one thing but this? He couldn’t do it.

 

Simon watched Alec and Jace, wondering what he had missed. Before it dawned on him. He hadn’t even thought this far ahead.

 

“That’s why it has to be you,” Alec said, climbing to his feet. He only wobbled for a moment before Jace reached out and steadied him. “You’re always saying that you’re the best. You won’t miss, you’ll make it quick. Just imagine we are on the hunt, that I’m too injured to be saved or something,” he pleaded.

 

“Entreat me not to leave thee,” Jace hissed, not bothering to wipe away the tears that had started rolling down his cheeks.

 

“Please, I need you,” Alec said, blinking furiously as he cupped Jace’s face, stopping the violent shake of denial. “I stopped you because I knew there was another way. There isn’t for me. So please, one last time, brother?” he asked, his voice hoarse and scratchy.

 

“I can do it if you can’t,” Simon said, knowing that he was lying through his teeth. There was no way he wanted to be the one. But he felt awful for Jace and he would find a way to do it - if Alec was desperate enough. 

 

“No. I’ll do it,” Jace said, pulling Alec into a back-breaking hug. The desperation on Alec’s face was something that he never wanted to see again, it was worse than when Magnus had left for Edom. “It’s my job, as his parabatai, to make sure that it is swift and honourable,” he said, nodding to Simon. 

 

“Not here. I don’t want this place tainted for any of you,” Alec said, pulling back and wiping his eyes and nose. There was a mundane cemetery outside of the wards with plenty of space.

 

“Yeah well, I’m not digging your grave by myself,” Jace muttered, wiping his own face. Come on,” he said, leading Simon and Alec out of the library and through the Institute, glad that Izzy and Clary had disappeared. He wasn’t sure that he could look either of them in the eye at the moment.

 

Simon had never felt weirder than when Jace disappeared near the front doors of the Institute and reappeared a few moments later with three shovels. Without asking where they had come from, he took one and followed Jace and Alec out into the night air.

 

“I need you all to gather supplies for me while I’m transitioning. Weapons without runes on them, a few changes of clothes, enough blood to keep me going until I can find Magnus,” Alec said, leading the others outside the wards and through the cemetery. Deciding that a wide space under a willow tree would be the perfect spot. 

 

“It will all be ready for when you wake up,” Jace said, setting his shovel to the ground when Alec had picked somewhere he liked, refusing to utter the word _ if. _ The spot was secluded and pretty, wildflowers growing near the tree and long fronds of willow branches shielding the spot from the sun and rain. 

 

Alec had never done anything this strange in his life. Fighting demons and policing the downworld was his everyday life. Digging his own grave was another level. 

 

Maybe Alec should have been scared, with every shovel full of dirt that the three of them scooped up, but he kept Magnus’ face at the forefront of his mind as he dug, his eyes on his flashing engagement ring every time the moonlight bounced off of it. The fear that he had seen on Magnus’ face, no matter how well his fiance had tried to hide it, gave him the strength to keep on digging. They would be together soon.

 

“I know you don’t want to hear it but thank you, both of you,” Alec said when they finally put down their shovels, the hole deep enough. 

 

“What about Mom and Dad, Max?” Jace asked, realising that none of them knew what Alec was planning. 

 

“I’ve left letters for them, letters for all of you but I’ll explain in person when I wake up. I can’t put them through the wait. They don’t need to know until its done. Just tell them I’m on a mission,” Alec said with a tight smile. He pulled Jace into another hug and, against his better judgement, Simon too.

 

“Simon, I need to do this alone,” Jace said when Alec pulled back and took a deep, shaky breath.

 

“Sure man. Alec, I won’t leave until you wake up. I’ll be here for you when you do, okay?” Simon asked. The tight smile and nod that Alec gave him spurred him into action, he didn’t particularly want to watch.

 

Simon used his superior strength to jump out of the hole, turning his back on the brothers. He walked fast, not wanting to hear it either. Unfortunately, his superior hearing didn’t stop Jace’s words,  _ Ave Atque Vale,  _ from floating back to him. 

 

Nor could Simon ignore the anguished cry that Jace let out when his parabatai rune disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to put a bit of comic relief in because who doesn't like an awkward atmosphere? Also, I'm a little bit heartbroken.


	3. Chapter 3

Simon sat under the willow tree, using his night vision to good effect so that he could read his graphic novel. The restless tapping off to his left had him letting out a deep sigh. 

 

“Quit it, Fray, you’re making us all nervous,” Simon said without looking up from his book. He didn’t need to. 

 

“Sorry, sorry. It’s been three days. Shouldn’t something have happened by now?” Clary asked, tapping her stele on the sole of her boot. She took Jace’s hand when it sought out her own. He had been inconsolable and hadn’t slept for three days, constantly on the move, refusing to sleep until Alec woke up.

 

“He has to do it himself. We can’t help him with this,” Simon said. He wasn’t an expert but he knew enough. Raphael had been mentoring him. “He’ll get up in his own time; when he’s ready.”

 

“He does know that I’m going to kill him again when he wakes up, right?” Maryse asked, glaring at all of them, letting them wither under her gaze. They had thought they could keep Alec’s ridiculous plan from her. Sure. She had to glare at them to keep from crying.

 

They were all there, Clary, Jace, Izzy, Simon, Maia -to help them control Alec if they needed to- Luke and Maryse. Even Raphael was waiting inside the Institute, there at Simon’s request. As a mundane, Raphael stood the least chance of making it out of a fight with Alec in one piece. So he was waiting inside, too much of a temptation.

 

Simon almost said that there was no other way. It hadn’t gone over well the first time he had said it, however, so he refrained. Maryse Lightwood might have lost her runes but she was still a badass. She had moved back into the Institute for a few days and the aggression that she had taken out in the training room was no joke.

 

Izzy said nothing, just stared at the mound of earth that they were all sitting around. All she wanted to do was sink into Simon’s embrace but she couldn’t. She couldn’t even touch him. She thought that she had imagined it at first when she felt a rumble come from the earth, looking up to see if anyone else had noticed. None of them had.

 

“Did you guys feel…” Izzy cut off when it came again, a deep rumbling that had Alec’s grave dirt shifting.

 

“Get back, all of you,” Simon warned when everyone just sat there, staring at Alec’s grave. “Now! He will be thirsty enough to take all of you down like a fat kid at an all you can eat so move, now,” he said, grabbing several bottles.

 

Everyone scrambled to their feet and backed away, all of them refusing to pull a blade. They were all armed but none of them could bear to pull a blade on Alec, no matter what state he was in. The silence was deafening, all of them refusing to even breathe when the grave dirt continued to shift, a peak forming in the middle. Until a hand shot out of the earth. Swiftly followed by another.

 

Simon cautioned them all further back, watching them all try to push each other behind their backs. Stashing the huge bottles of blood in the crook of his arm, he opened the first one and stepped closer as Alec clawed his way out of the grave, hoping that the scent of the blood would be enough to distract Alec from the others.

 

Alec fought his way up when his hands met fresh air, emerging from the earth with a snarl. He took a deep, gasping breath when his head broke the dirt -some residual instinct left over from before the darkness- that now felt foreign to him. The fresh air did nothing to alleviate the hunger that raged through him, nor did he feel any relief from the action in his chest. It was odd.

 

“Alec, over here,” Simon said when Alec kept on climbing, emerging fully from the grave. He gave Maia a nod on the other side to make sure that she was ready if Alec went for any of the Nephilim, Luke included. That had been a shock when he had turned up at the Institute with Maryse, with runes instead of werewolf fangs.

 

The only thing that could push through the rush of sounds and sensations that ripped through Alec was the scent of something that would ease the hunger that plagued him. The scent was everything, promised everything. It was what he needed, so close. He focused long enough to see that it was coming from a bottle that a man was holding. No, not a man. A predator, a small part of his brain informed him. Before the need for the blood came once more.

 

Maryse watched with stinging eyes as Alec ran full pelt at Simon. Well, she tried to watch but he moved too fast for her to track. What she didn’t miss was the way Alec snatched the bottle from Simon’s hands and started pouring it into his mouth.

 

Alec didn’t have the concentration to register that he had just moved across the small distance within the blink of an eye. It had felt normal to him, even though he knew that the movement had been swift. All he could think about was the red hot scent that invaded every cell of his body.

 

Ignoring everything else, Alec poured the liquid silk down his throat, glugging it down as fast as he could. The sensation of aching, gnawing hunger didn’t lessen by the time he reached the bottom of the bottle. Thankfully, another one was thrust into his hands when he dropped the first one. The sound of seven loud, thudding hearts, pumping more of the delicious liquid through seven very warm bodies tried to snatch his attention but he focussed on the bottle in his hands for now.

 

Simon had the lid off of the third bottle as soon as Alec ripped the second one out of his hand. This was good, Alec had gone straight for the bottles instead of the seven walking blood bags that surrounded him. If he had had his way, Maryse would be inside the Institute with Raphael. But trying to tell Maryse anything was like trying to wrestle his mother away from a 2 for 1 deal on brisket.

 

Simon handed Alec the third bottle, holding it out and watching it disappear as fast as the first two, already opening the fourth.

 

Alec snatched bottle after bottle from…  _ Simon _ , he remembered, his head getting clearer with every gulp. The blood tasted phenomenal, sliding down his throat like silk but never quite quenching the thirst that still raged through him like fire. It sloshed uncomfortably in his stomach but he kept on drinking, gasping for breath that he didn’t need. 

 

It was still odd to Alec, as were the hundreds of sounds that threatened his concentration and the new scents that had finally started registering with him now that he was feeding the hunger. The strength that flowed through him was like a tangible thing, there under his skin, flowing through his muscles. None of it, however, was stranger than trying to drink from a bottle with the fangs - that felt like they had been jammed into his gums - in the way.

 

Izzy almost spoke until she saw Simon shaking his head in her direction when she opened her mouth. She looked around at the others, everyone watching Alec hunch over the bottles that Simon was feeding him. Her brother was filthy and stooped, and looked half crazy with hunger. But he was there, Alive. Technically. He was animated, anyway.

 

Simon pulled out one last bottle -a smaller one- when Alec stopped pouring the blood down his throat and settled for smaller, more civilised gulps. The animalistic grunts had stopped too, indicating that Alec was coming back to himself. He remembered when it had been him - when he had had that moment of clarity - with a shudder. It probably helped that Alec had chosen this.

 

“Are you full?” Simon asked, unscrewing the lid on the smaller bottle in his hands. The term full was used loosely. Alec’s body would feel full but the hunger would never quite die down. “Drink this one, all of it,” he said, handing the bottle over.

 

Alec would have said that he was full - if the scent that emanated from the bottle hadn’t snagged his undivided attention. The scent of the bottle's contents wasn’t like the rest of it, it was 1000 times better. Snatching the bottle, he downed it in six gulps. It exploded over his tongue, the flavour of everything else he had drunk in the last ten minute’s fading to ash compared to this. 

 

Jace asked Simon silently with his eyes if it was done, his breath huffing out of him with relief when Simon nodded. It seemed the sound had caught Alec’s attention, because his parabatai… former parabatai spun on the spot to look at him. Fast! 

 

Alec continued the spin, taking in all of the eyes that watched him. He sniffed the air, seeking all of the scents out that surrounded him until his eyes landed on the blonde one, the match of the scent that had just come from the bottle, mixed with the red head’s scent.  _ Jace, Clary. _

 

Alec’s head cleared a little further when he remembered their names, stopping him from lurching forward for another taste. Shaking his head, he stared at the couple for a moment, watching them hold hands, both staring right back, and let the memories of them, of all of them, crash through him. 

 

It was a crazy whirlwind that would have stolen Alec’s breath. If he’d had any. But the memories came, crashing into him in a confused deluge that had him shaking his head. It took him a good ten minutes to recover and put them into order but he got there. He remembered it all. Including who they all were and why he was there. The scent that still lingered in the air had him narrowing his eyes at his parabatai.

 

“What was in that bottle?” Alec demanded, staring at Jace with suspicion. He already had a feeling he knew. His voice sounded hoarse and scratchy from disuse so he cleared his throat and tried again. “Clary?” he asked. 

 

Maryse couldn’t stop herself when Alec used Clary’s name. She dashed forward, only to have Luke’s arms come around her waist and yank her back. The motion had Alec spinning towards her. 

 

“Mom?” Alec asked, taking a step back from his mother, toward’s Simon. She smelt far too good right now, even with the blood sloshing through his stomach. “Seriously? None of you could keep her away for a few days? I said I’d tell her myself when I woke up,” he said, glaring at his traitorous friends and siblings.

 

“When you woke up? You haven’t been asleep. You haven’t been having a nap, or a snooze or a fucking siesta!” Maryse yelled, forgetting that she was happy to see her son up and about. “You died!” she yelled, elbowing Lucian off of her so she could yell some more. “Do you have any idea what I have been through?”

 

“I was gonna wait until I…” Alec cut off when he saw the fire in his mom’s eyes. Maybe it was the wrong choice of words. “I hadn’t planned on you finding out until it was over. I’m sorry but I had to. It was the only way,” he said.

 

Maryse ignored the stares that everyone aimed at her when she started pacing, rolling her eyes when Alec skittered back from her. “Calm down. You won’t hurt me, you’ve just drunk the equivalent of sixteen baggies and…” she trailed off, her eyes flicking to Clary and Jace.

 

“And what?” Alec asked, remembering his earlier question as he rounded on Clary and Jace. “Please tell me that you didn’t? Both of you?” he asked, wanting to stick his fingers down his throat and puke the contents of his stomach back up when they both nodded.

 

“Why?” Alec asked redundantly. It was obvious. They didn’t even look repentant about it.

 

“It worked for Simon. We gave you a double dose,” Jace shrugged, fighting the grin that tugged at the corners of his lips. He couldn’t help it. The monumental eye roll that Alec aimed in his direction was so Alec that a giddy laugh burst out of him, relief that Alec was there, flooding him. “We had to give you all of the protection that we could. Why shouldn’t you take advantage of it? Simon does,” he said.

 

“So I’m a Daylighter now?” Alec asked, holding his hands up when Jace moved in his direction. Sixteen baggies and a bottle of Jace and Clary’s concentrated angel blood notwithstanding, he didn’t feel up to that just yet.

 

“Probably? We will have to wait and see,” Clary said, also wanting to reach out and hug Alec but respecting his boundaries. It seemed that Simon had no such qualms, throwing himself at Alec. 

 

Alec didn’t hesitate to flip Simon over his shoulder and slam him into the ground when he felt a pair of arms wrap around him from behind. The move had felt normal to him, his mind telling him that it had taken the normal amount of time to pull it off. The stares of his friends told him otherwise. 

 

“Uh, sorry Simon,” Alec mumbled, reaching down to offer Simon a hand.

 

“No problem,” Simon wheezed, thanking the angel that he didn’t need to breathe. Alec had just pile drove his lungs into the ground.

 

Izzy stared at her brother, watching him pick Simon up off of the ground. Every move took a fraction of a second. The speed and strength that he had displayed had been incredible. She wished that she could hug him, to be sure that he was still her brother in there. Instead, she settled for a hug from Luke. 

 

“I’m going to hug you now and you will accept it,” Maryse said to Alec, raising an eyebrow at him when he gaped at her. She still wanted to smack him but she settled for a hug.

 

Alec cautiously wrapped his arms around his mom’s shoulders when she approached him, loosening his hold when she winced slightly. His eyes slammed closed when her neck came a little too close for comfort, his fangs digging into his bottom lip as he locked his muscles down. There was a small voice in his head telling him to have a taste, just a little one but he shoved it down. He was not feeding on his mother! She felt good in his arms, her arms not so gentle with him. She squeezed the life out of him. Or would have. 

 

“See, not so bad,” Maryse said when Alec released her and pulled back slightly, ignoring the chill from her son’s freezing body. And the implications from it. He had been dead. But he was here now. Instead, she focused on the fangs that he did his best to wrap his lips over. Shaking her head, she reached up and poked at his lip until he stopped trying to hide them. They were a part of him now. If the three-day wait had done anything, it had given her a chance to come to terms with what Alec would be like once he woke up. Fangs and all.

 

“Yeah, because I wasn’t breathing,” Alec mumbled quietly, smiling tentatively for his mother. She accepted him without batting an eyelid. The moment she had approached him, he had sucked a redundant breath in and stopped breathing, kind of glad that it was still second nature to him to try and draw breath. He couldn’t help but stare when his mother pulled back and he saw the dirt and blood that had transferred to her clothes.

 

Alec would probably have blushed then when he looked down at himself and saw the blood that had drenched his shirt. It was everywhere. Those first few minutes were no joke. He shuddered to think what would have happened if Simon hadn’t been there with blood for him.

 

The successful hug broke through Alec’s maudlin thoughts and emboldened him. He still held his breath but was able to give each of them a hug. Except for Izzy. “Sorry, Iz,” he muttered when she had to hold back.

 

“I’m just happy that you’re alive,” Izzy said, really wishing she could throw herself into his arms then. Her eyes widened when she realised what she had said. “Alec, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”

 

“It’s okay, you can say it. I still feel like I’m alive. Well, not alive. I mean, I don’t need to breathe but I can move, walk, talk, think, you know?” Alec asked, knowing that she didn’t in fact know. “I don’t feel like a corpse,” he said with a shrug. He still felt emotions, wants, needs. 

 

Wants and needs...  _ Magnus _ , Alec thought when the ring on his finger caught his eye where he had been gesturing with his hands. 

 

“I have to send Lorenzo a fire message,” Alec said, patting his pockets down. Before he realised that he wouldn’t be able to use his stele anymore, that it wasn’t even there. Jace must have removed it.

 

“Uh, can one of you send Lorenzo a fire message?” Alec asked, looking around at them all, rolling his eyes at the sad expressions on their faces. “It’s not the end of the world, it’s a fire message,” he said. It was probably going to take some getting used to, not being able to do certain things anymore but he would manage.

 

“You can’t just go running off to Edom right this second, you need to work on controlling yourself first,” Maia said, giving Alec a pointed stare when he let out an irritated huff. 

 

“You’re a newly minted vampire. Like it or not, you’re going to have control issues. A few hugs don’t mean you’ve got it in the bag. Just remember, Magnus is going to be the only one down there that you could possibly feed off. Do you want to hurt him, or would you rather wait a couple of days to be sure?” Maia asked. They all had control issues when they first turned, he would be no different.

 

“Fine,” Alec snapped, furious that she was right, he didn’t have time for her to be right. Apart from those few moments when they had reunited and gotten engaged in Alicante, he hadn’t been with Magnus for a week. 

 

Alec just had to hope that Lilith hadn’t gained too much strength while he had been lying around for the past few days. Only the fact that he couldn’t hurt Magnus had him following the others when they all turned for the institute. All except Simon.   

 

“Uh, what are you doing?” Alec asked Simon when he turned to find the Vampire… the fellow Vampire, scooping handfuls of dirt into a small barrel. Fellow Vampire. That was going to be weird. 

 

“It’s your grave dirt, it comes in handy,” Simon said, pausing in scooping up another handful to look up at Alec. “You know, in case we need to contact you in an emergency?” he asked.

 

“Will that even work in Edom?” Alec asked, confusion pulling his brows into one line.

 

“Don’t know,” Simon shrugged, continuing with his task. “But it couldn’t hurt to keep some around. Plus, I think it will help the others, to have something of yours around when you leave,” he said.

 

“They do know that I’m not coming back, right?” Alec asked, scooping a few handfuls of the dirt up, himself.

 

“You do know that they will never stop trying to find a way to bring the two of you home, right?” Simon countered, hefting the barrel when it was full.

 

Alec chewed his lip and clasped his hands behind his back as he followed Simon back to the institute, playing with his ring as he mulled Simon’s words over. Of course, he would love it if they found a way but he had made his decision and accepted the consequences of his actions, which meant that he had accepted that he would have to stay in Edom. 

 

First up of those consequences, however, was greeting his former Shadowhunters in his new form. Hopefully, after he got a shower, a new change of clothes, some news from Meliorn and Lorenzo that they were still willing to help and another bottle of blood. 

 

Then maybe he could roll into bed. He felt surprisingly tired, he also felt the approach of dawn. They would probably stick him in the basement. 

 

_ Fun,  _ Alec thought with a roll of his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He's aliiiiiive!!!!!! Thank fuck for that.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to upload last night but I literally fell asleep at my laptop. Hope y'all like the update!

They had indeed stuck Alec in the basement when he had gone for Raphael, the moment that he had scented the former Vampire. Everything else had faded away and all that had been left was the hunt for something warm and wet and quite frankly, delicious smelling. Even Raphael’s pulse had called out to him. 

 

It was different with Alec’s family. As delicious as they all smelled, they were just that. But he had no emotional bond with Raphael and the new mundane had just been stood there, like a particularly juicy steak, ready to become his dinner. Luckily, Simon was faster and stronger than he looked and had taken him down before he could reach Raphael, snapping him out of it. And Raphael was more forgiving than he had a right to ask for. 

 

The situation had mortified Alec when he had come to his senses and it was a good motivation for not losing his cool like that again. That and the thought of what Magnus would say if he knew that Alec had almost chowed down on his foster son.

 

So they had stuck Alec in the basement. For a few hours - until he had gotten bored of looking at the walls and the curious gazes of his siblings. That had been two days ago. He had told them that he would have to test whether he was a Daylighter at some point. 

 

Izzy’s answer had been to try him with a witchlight first. When Alec’s skin hadn’t started smoking the second he had come into contact with the glow from the witchlight, they had tried him with a UV lamp. When he still hadn’t burst into flames, he had ventured out of the basement and cautiously stepped into a beam of morning sunlight in the training room.

 

It had gone against every one of Alec’s new instincts to go near the shaft of light but he had forced himself forward anyway. To say that relief had been the prevailing emotion when he had felt the warm sunlight on his skin would have been an understatement. As much as he had accepted that he would be a creature of the night, he could only be grateful that Jace and Clary had tricked him into drinking their blood.

 

The relief had been short-lived. That was the moment when a handful of Alec’s former Shadowhunters had decided to show up for training, all of them staring at him and the blood that still coated his clothes. They had no showers in the basement. He had barked at them to get back to work and they had been so attuned to following his commands that they had actually done it, even after his fangs had snapped out.

 

After a hot shower and a couple more baggies of blood, Alec had fallen into his own bed and slept like the dead. Literally. The baggies had been an experience that he would never forget. He had pierced them with his fangs and drained them like a couple of juice boxes, not as grossed out as he would have thought. They had tasted better than he had been expecting and dimmed the hunger that was a constant inside him. The shower had been unforgettable too. 

 

The loss of his runes had momentarily thrown Alec. Of course, he had known that they would disappear when he died but it had been disconcerting, to say the least when he had looked down after peeling his filthy clothes off to find them gone. Hoping that Magnus wouldn’t be too disappointed with the loss of them, he had hopped into the boiling hot shower, trying not to think about how proud he had been when he had received his angelic rune and all the others after it.

 

The next morning had brought a couple of visitors to New York. The expression on his father’s face was nothing short of furious at first and the rant that had followed about jumping into decisions without discussing it with them had lasted a few hours. Alec had endured it because he knew that his dad needed to get it out. 

 

But after Alec had talked to him, explained that there was no other way for him and that he was happy with his decision, Robert had pulled him into a hug that lasted longer than any hug he had ever given his son. Alec had held on just as hard.

 

Funnily enough, Max’s reaction was the one that Alec had been dreading the most. At least Izzy and Jace had had a notion of what was going on. He hadn’t realised just how much he was dreading the first interaction with Max until his little brother -after a fast and furious game of twenty questions about what the transformation had been like- had shrugged off the fact that Alec was now a Downworlder and given him a hug.

 

After the way Max had reacted to Magnus at the party Magnus had thrown for him after Max’s rune ceremony, Alec wasn’t convinced that Max would fully accept him as he now was. The hug and the acceptance had given him a small glimpse at the Shadowhunter that Max would one day become and it filled him with pride, knowing that Max would do better than previous generations. Even if he wouldn’t be there to see it, he was still proud. It made it easier to say goodbye.

 

Nobody had cringed harder than Alec when Max’s arms had wrapped around his waist at first. It had been a close call though. Sure, Maryse had come a long way from “all for a Downworlder” but her youngest was still hugging a Vampire and she had still pulled in a deep breath before remembering herself. Robert had visibly twitched and opened his mouth to object before Max had raised an eyebrow at them. Alec had almost shit his pants but he hadn’t scooped his little brother up and drained him dry. So that was something.

 

**

 

Alec’s new fangs were what he was focussed on now, as he waited for his guests to arrive, his tongue flicking over them, again and again. They felt strange in his mouth, as though his teeth were too big to fit his face. Talking around them made him sound a bit like he had a speech impediment but it was getting easier to work his lips and tongue to form sentences while they were in the way. Simon and Raphael had coached him through keeping them retracted but they still managed to snap through his gums at the most inopportune times. Like when he was excited or angry or nervous.

 

“Stop playing with them, you’re making Underhill nervous,” Izzy whispered, nodding in Andrew Underhill’s direction when Alec looked up at her from across the room. The fact that Alec had heard her from the other end of the room was still a bit crazy to her. 

 

They were all in the ops centre, Robert, Max, Maryse, Luke, Simon, Izzy, Clary and Jace, waiting for Lorenzo and Meliorn to arrive. And Underhill was staring.

 

Maybe it was a bit petulant of him but Alec flashed his fangs in Underhill’s direction, like a five-year-old sticking their tongue out.  _ That’s what happens when you stare at people _ , he thought with a grin, watching Underhill’s gaze dart away.

 

The front doors opening caught Alec’s attention fast. Seeing that his guests had finally arrived, he stopped poking at his teeth and fiddling with his engagement ring, and unclasped his hands from behind his back to step forward to greet each of them with a handshake, raising an eyebrow when both men stared at his fangs. Was it always going to be like this?

 

“Gentlemen, thank you for coming,” Alec said, gesturing for Meliorn and Lorenzo to follow them to the training room. Underhill’s blatant staring snagged his attention again as they passed him. Looking over his shoulder, he realised that it was Lorenzo he was staring at. And Lorenzo wasn’t bothering to hide the fact that he was staring right back. That was an odd match but he couldn’t deny the chemistry that sizzled between the two. 

 

The thought of telling Magnus practically had Alec rubbing his hands together. He wasn't above something as mundane as gossiping and Magnus would be delighted at having something to rub in Lorenzo’s face. That made him smile, uncaring of the fangs that didn’t seem to want to retract, even if Magnus never got to actually do any of the rubbing in.

 

“You actually became a vampire?” Lorenzo asked, staring at Alec’s back the entire way. “It must be love,” he muttered under his breath, unable to think of any sane reason why a person would subject themselves to that. Especially a Shadowhunter.

 

“I needed a way to be able to survive the demonic atmosphere in Edom,” Alec replied, rolling his eyes as he walked. Of course, it was love. It would have been obvious for a silent brother to see how much he and Magnus loved each other.

 

“And the Shadowhunters just let you stay here?” Meliorn asked, grasping his staff a little tighter. It wasn’t unusual to see the Shadowhunters look down their noses at him but some of them were also directing the same snobby looks at Alec now too.

 

“We didn’t give them much of a choice. It’s only been two days anyway. One of them still took it upon themselves to inform Jia of my transformation but none of them was willing to physically eject me from the Institute when she sent a directive to kick me out. Not after they watched my training session yesterday,” Alec shrugged when they reached the training room.

 

“He took all of us on without breaking a sweat,” Jace said ruefully, watching his brother move with a grace that went beyond even a Shadowhunter’s natural grace. Alec had been like water, flowing between them all, kicking their asses. He had already been one of the best Shadowhunter’s around but add in the enhanced senses, speed and strength, and Alec had been like poetry in motion. They had all felt it for a long time afterwards.

 

“It was a humbling experience, to say the least,” Luke added with a shake of his head. It had been a long time since someone had handed him his ass so thoroughly. Alec had taken him, Clary, Jace, Underhill and Simon on and walked away without a scratch. The rest of them had been left in the dirt, activating their Iratze’s.

 

The training session would have been fun for Alec - if he hadn’t been plagued with worry for Magnus the entire time. He was more than ready for Meliorn to mark him so that he could be on his way. At the same time, he was saying goodbye to his family. It was a fine line between dread and need that had him on edge. 

 

How was it possible to want to drag something out and have it over and done with at the same time? Half of Alec wanted to get it over and done with, not only because he missed Magnus more than he missed air but also because the longer it took, the more it hurt to know that he would never see his family again. The other half of him wanted to drag it out for that exact same reason. Fine line didn’t even begin to cover it.

 

“So, how did you do it?” Meliorn asked when Lorenzo took his cue from Alec and started marking the floor out with a pentagram.

 

“Do what?” Alec asked distractedly, half watching Lorenzo work - half watching his family, all whispering amongst themselves on the other side of the circle that was being marked out.

 

“Your transformation,” Meliorn asked, shrugging when Alec looked at him as though he had lost his mind. “I find it fascinating that a Shadowhunter would give up his runes for a Downworlder. How did you end your last life to begin your new one?” he asked.

 

“Seraph blade through the base of the skull,” Alec shrugged, indulging Meliorn’s morbid curiosity. One moment he had been looking down at the dirt, filled with a surprisingly calm sense of peace, the next he had been clawing his way out of it. He hadn’t even felt it, so swift and sure was the blow. “And not every Downworlder is like Magnus. I’d give up 100 lifetimes for him,” he said.

 

“No, not every Downworlder is like Magnus,” Meliorn conceded. “Are you ready to receive the mark?” he asked, continuing when Alec nodded. “You will need your friends to hold you down, it will hurt, a lot. You will also have to make yourself a Daylighter to receive it. The mark of Cain doesn’t just work on any old Vampire.”

 

“Why didn’t you tell me that five days ago?” Alec asked. He was already a Daylighter but Meliorn hadn’t even mentioned it when he had made his request.

 

“I wanted to see if you would actually go through with it first,” Meliorn shrugged. He also wanted to watch the process first hand. Everyone knew that the Shadowhunters had a way to make Vampires into Daylighters, however much they denied it. He wanted to know how. 

 

“Luckily for me, I’m already a Daylighter,” Alec said, watching Meliorn try to hide the disappointment that had flitted across his face momentarily. He didn’t have superior vampiric eyesight for nothing, he’d seen the expression.

 

“Why didn’t you tell me that I had to be a Daylighter to receive the mark?” Alec asked Simon when the other Vampire joined them.

 

“Uh, because I was too worried about having to turn my girlfriend's brother into a Vampire,” Simon said, trying not to wring his hands together under Alec’s incredulous gaze, thanking the angel when it softened slightly. Thank fuck for the sire bond. “It’s not a problem, you are a Daylighter,” he said, clapping Alec on the back.

 

“Your girlfriend?” Meliorn asked, his eyes flitting to land on Isabelle who was watching them intently. “So you finally made it official. Congratulations,” he said, bowing his head slightly before continuing. “My offer still stands.”

 

“What offer?” Alec asked, distracted by the wide-eyed stare that Simon was giving Meliorn. 

 

“Nothing… I… Uh…” Simon mumbled, unable to get even those few words out when a smirk played over Meliorn’s lips. Alec did  _ not _ need to know about the Seelie knight’s offer, the last time that he and Izzy had gone to the Seelie realm. Thankfully, Lorenzo managed to save his ass from having to explain.

 

“It is done,” Lorenzo said, dusting his hands off and marvelling down at his masterpiece. The masterpiece that nobody was giving a second glance to.  _ Unappreciative heathens!  _ He thought, glaring at them all.

 

“There is still the matter of my price,” Meliorn said, leaning on his staff when Alec’s friends approached and made to hold his arms. The enquiring stares had him elaborate. “Jonathan Morgenstern has made himself quite comfortable in our realm. His presence is infecting the court and the Wanderwoods like a plague. Our Queen is enamoured of him and refuses to take counsel against him. I want him gone.”

 

“Why would you go against your Queen to bring us this information?” Clary asked suspiciously, sharing a look with the others. It was the lead that they had all been searching for relentlessly. They were all surprised that Jonathan was in the Seelie realm and suspicious of why Meliorn would reveal such a fact to them.

 

“Because I have a great foreboding. I feel like my Queen is in danger. She will listen to no one. My loyalty is to my Queen but my duty is to her safety. And you all know that duty comes above all else,” Meliorn said, looking from face to face. “As you have accepted the consequences of your decision, Alec Lightwood, I too shall accept the consequences of my betrayal. But you will not receive the mark unless you can promise me that you will remove Jonathan from my realm.”

 

Alec wanted to swing for Meliorn. He was springing this on them now? Delaying him further from getting to Magnus because he couldn’t get rid of Jonathan himself?

 

“Will you accept our help without Alec?” Jace asked, resting a hand on Alec’s arm. He knew that twitch anywhere, the reflexive reach for his bow and arrows.

 

“That is acceptable,” Meliorn acquiesced. The Nephilim knew better than to try and renege. Plus, he had wanted Clary to be the one to do it anyway, Jonathan would listen to her. She hadn’t wanted anything from him, however, so he had used the next best thing. Alec’s need.

 

“Fine, we have a deal,” Alec said, nodding to Jace, silently thanking him for taking on the responsibility. He gave Meliorn a nod when the Seelie raised an eyebrow at him, letting Jace and Luke take hold of one of his arms, Clary and Simon grabbing the other.

 

Izzy wrapped her arms around her mom’s waist, clinging on when Meliorn lifted his staff and reversed it. Neither of them could look when Meliorn pressed the blue, glowing end of the staff to Alec’s forehead. Her hand slid down to cover Max’s eyes where he hovered in front of her, not even realising that she was digging his glasses into his face as he tried to wrestle her off him to watch.

 

Alec gritted his teeth and fought the pain with everything that he had when the end of the staff pressed into his skin. He wasn’t able to hold back the scream, however. It felt like somebody was branding his skull with a red hot poker, which was exactly what was happening. The pain that radiated from the spot and vibrated through his skull was unlike anything that he had ever felt before. It would have induced nausea if he’d had any food in his stomach.

 

Jace might not have been connected to Alec anymore but the sound that ripped from his brother’s mouth still sawed at his gut. It made him feel sick just hearing it, unable to imagine what it felt like. Judging by the expression on Simon’s face when their eyes met, Simon knew exactly how Alec was feeling.

 

Alec’s scream echoed through the cavernous training room, even after he had stopped making the sound, slumping in his family’s arms when Meliorn removed the staff. It took him a moment of heavy breathing - the action more to soothe his need to feel human than out of actual necessity - before he could straighten up. The pain resided for a few minutes longer as he gathered himself.

 

Simon had warned Alec that the pain would be beyond anything he could comprehend and he had been right. Simon didn’t warn him, however, before flicking him in the arm.

 

With a blinding flash of blue light, Simon flew backwards across the room with a grunt of pain, landing hard on his ass and skidding a few more feet -like a stone skipping over the rippling surface of a lake-  when he was flung back from Alec. He clutched his arm, silently wondering if it had been broken. It felt like a battering ram had been run into his arm.

 

“Are you serious? What the hell is wrong with you?” Alec asked, crossing the room in a split second to pick Simon up before half of the room could comprehend what had happened. It annoyed him to no end when his anger drained away, even if he wanted to keep feeling it.  _ Damned sire bond!  _ That had quickly become a pain in the ass. Every time he felt something negative toward’s Simon, it had faded after a few moments. 

 

“I was checking to see if it worked,” Simon said, rubbing his arm and looking around at the shocked looks on Clary and Izzy’s faces and the amused, incredulous expressions on Jace and Meliorn’s faces. “I’m the most durable, remember. I thought a flick would hurt me less than a punch,” he said.

 

Alec just shook his head at Simon. This was seriously the guy his sister had chosen? He was an idiot. Simon had had the mark himself and still thought it was a good idea to have a go. He also realised that the mark had indeed worked. All Simon had done was flicked him and he had ended up on his ass, fifteen feet away. 

 

Alec grinned, slinging an arm around a surprised Simon’s shoulder, Simon’s surprise mirrored on everyone else's faces, except Jace who was snapping a picture of them on his cell. Until he realised that he was in danger of hugging Simon. Then a treacherous voice in his head told him that he was being ungrateful to his sire after everything that Simon had done for him. He then returned to scowling before finally admitting to himself that he was indeed being ungrateful. 

 

_ How to be a Vampire 101. First up, 100 thoughts and feelings in ten seconds flat,  _ Alec thought to himself with an eye roll before his mom came at him.

 

“At least you will have protection while you’re away,” Maryse said, disentangling herself from Izzy to go and hug Alec. She held on tight when his arms came around her shoulders, trying hard not to cry. “Go get him and come home to us, both of you. We still have a wedding to plan, you boys aren’t getting out of it that easily,” she said around the lump in her throat.

 

“Mom…” Alec wanted her to see that there was no way for him to come back, for her to accept it so that she could move on but she refused to listen whenever he brought it up. Which only made it harder for him to say goodbye. “Take care of her, please?” he implored Luke when the former Werewolf came to pull his mom away.

 

“I will,” Luke promised, his eyebrow raised in surprise. He let Alec appraise him, understanding that Alec was looking out for his mom. He wouldn’t have expected anything less from Alec.

 

“It was pretty obvious,” Alec chuckled, reaching out to shake Luke’s hand. If there was anyone who could look after Maryse Lightwood, it was Luke. Dropping a kiss on his mother's cheek, he turned to hug Clary and shake Simon’s hand.

 

“Thank you for looking out for them, for loving my brother and taking my sister as your parabatai. It was a beautiful ceremony,” Alec said to Clary. They had held hers and Izzy’s parabatai ceremony the night before so that he could watch his sister join herself to Clary. He was happy, for both of them.

 

“No thanks required. Just look after yourself and Magnus. We will see you soon, I’m sure of it. This isn’t goodbye, Alec,” Clary said, giving Alec an extra squeeze before letting go.

 

Alec just nodded. If it gave them comfort to think like that, he could allow it. Although, it would be better if they could accept it and move on. After a quick shake of his sire’s hand and a muttered, slightly embarrassed but completely menacing, “Thank you for all you’ve done, you’d better never hurt my sister or I’ll come back for you,” he pulled his brother into a bear hug, clearing the gruffness from his throat.

 

“We  _ will  _ find a way to bring you both home. Our lives won’t be worth living if mom doesn’t get to throw you the wedding of the century,” Jace muttered, holding on for a moment longer. 

 

“Don’t encourage her,” Alec mumbled, shaking his head. Why were they all determined to make this so hard? “I’m sorry that it had to be this way, and that I had to ask you to do it but I had to. I love him too much to let him go. Thank you, for making it painless and for being my parabatai all these years. Even if I’m a Vampire now, that’ll never change,” he said quietly, listening to Jace’s heart rate pick up.

 

“Hey, even death couldn’t part us,” Jace said gruffly, holding Alec a bit tighter for a moment. Until something barrelled into him.

 

Izzy ran forward and shoved Jace out of the way to wrap Alec up in a quick hug. Fuck the Heavenly Fire, he wasn’t leaving without so much as a hug. “I love you, big brother,” she said, pressing a kiss to his cheek before swiftly letting go. She could feel it building already and pushed the fire back as best as she could.

 

“Find a way to get rid of that, as soon as you can. Okay?” Alec asked when he saw the fire start to spark over Izzy’s hands, worry etched into the lines of his face. “I love you too. Look after them,” he said when Izzy nodded and Clary pulled her into a hug, the fire dying down a little.

 

Alec pulled Max into a hug when he saw his little brother’s chin start to wobble. This was going to be one of the hardest goodbyes for him. As much as Max insisted that he was all grown up, and no matter how tough Max already was, they were loved each other deeply. 

 

“Do better than the generation that came before us Max, huh?” Alec asked quietly, rubbing a soothing circle into Max’s back. “It’s up to Shadowhunters like you to show the old ones that the Clave and the Downworld can grow, together. Okay?” he asked, smiling when Max just nodded up at him.

 

“He shows me up on a daily basis,” Robert sighed, giving Alec a hug when Max scampered back to stand with Maryse. “Take care of yourself. And Magnus. Always be on your guard down there, don’t let that mark make you complacent. Watch your back, and make sure Magnus does too. You will be a force to be reckoned with, together, but never forget how treacherous demons can be. Especially the likes of Lilith.”

 

“You almost sound like you approve of Magnus and I being together,” Alec said, pulling back to look his father in the eye, unable to stop the hope that was building inside him. Whatever might have happened in the past, Robert was still his dad, his approval would still be welcome.

 

“I might not have the best track record when it comes to Downworlders or when it comes to your personal life but you love him enough to do this and that’s all I need to know. As much as hate that this is our final goodbye, I couldn’t be prouder of you, Alec. It takes bravery and loyalty to face Edom for the one you love and a father couldn’t ask for any more than that from his son,” Robert said, wrapping his hand around the nape of Alec’s neck with a small squeeze.

 

Alec patted his dad’s arm, blinking rapidly before giving him a nod and turning away. He gathered up the supplies that they had gathered for him. Some clothes and toiletries -brushing his fangs was a whole new experience- some bottles of blood, a couple of Magnus’ favourite spell books and shirts, and some photos of them all, all packed into one of Simon’s old camping rucksack’s. 

 

Alec strapped on the weapons belt that Izzy had made and filled for him, his stomach feeling like a lead weight, and buckled the double thigh holster’s around his legs. Slinging his new mundane bow over his shoulder, he watched as Lorenzo lit the pentagram up.

 

“Dude, you look totally badass. Like Lara Croft,” Simon yelled when Alec was ready to go, trying to defuse the tension between his friends. It might have worked - if any of them besides Clary knew who Lara Croft was.

 

Alec didn’t have a clue who this Lara woman was but gave Simon a nod anyway. Taking his cue from Lorenzo, he stepped into the flaming pentagram and let the flames lick up his body. Stifling his yells when the flames started to consume him, he looked around before he was sucked through the portal, looking at his family one last time. The heat of the flames did a good job of drying his tears before they could fall.

 

Alec landed hard, bending his legs at the knees to absorb the impact. The first thing that he noticed was the heat. Edom was hot! Luckily, his new body seemed to be able to regulate his temperature so he wasn’t uncomfortable. The second was the scent, slightly sulphuric but not unmanageable. He looked around at the orange skies and stunted trees, realising that the orange glow must be due to a sun that was burning out. No plants in this realm.

 

It didn’t even take a full minute for something to come for Alec. A lifetime of reflexive action had his bow with a three tipped arrow nocked and ready in his hands, taking aim at the huge scaly demon that flew at him, claws first. Taking that one down, he snatched another arrow from his quiver, turning a second one to flaming dust before a third demon learned what it was like to go up against the mark of Cain.

 

The blow of a leathery wing -smacking him in the back- knocked Alec forward slightly before his Vampiric speed and strength stopped him from hitting the ground, face first. Luckily for him, he was a lot more durable now and the blow hadn’t hurt too much. The same couldn’t be said for the demon. 

 

Alec stared at the burning pile of smouldering ashes that fell around him when the blue light faded. The mark had just flared up, automatically protecting him. It had been one thing to see Simon skid across the room but it was a whole new experience when the demon died without him forming a thought. He looked up for any more of their friends.

 

That was when Alec noticed one blue patch of sky. It was far away in the distance, miles and miles - judging by how small it was - and surrounded by more flying demons. There were flying demons everywhere. 

 

Snagging one of his bottles of blood out of his rucksack, Alec drained it quickly, knowing that he would need the energy, before setting off in the direction of that patch of sky. It didn’t take a genius to know that it was the rift. And that wherever the rift was, Magnus would be close by.

 

“I’m coming, Magnus,” Alec muttered as he set off, picking up speed quickly, marvelling at how easy it was to put one foot in front of the other and practically  _ fly  _ through the realm. But run he did, turning to a blur, his new eyes able to comprehend every detail that whizzed past him. 

 

Alec ran as though his life depended on it, letting more than one demon feel the wrath of his mark, he couldn’t get there fast enough. He had a fiance to spend the rest of his immortal existence with. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be adding some new tags so make sure to check them out before reading the next chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut. Smut. Smut.

Magnus wandered around his throne room, looking around the room but not seeing it. It wasn’t like there was much to look at. A throne, a couple of hundred books, some tall candelabra. It was monumentally boring.

 

“Come and rule Edom by my side,” Magnus muttered in an uncanny impression of his father. “We shall rule over the demonic plane. Take your rightful place,” he muttered. What a crock of shit. If this was ruling then Asmodeus was welcome to it. Not that his father would be able to rule over anything but Limbo ever again.

 

“Great, now you’re talking to yourself,” Magnus muttered, wandering over to the window to look out of it. He was the only person he had to talk to. Unless he counted Lilith. She had already come by once, asking him for a teeny tiny hole in the rift. Even the thought of it had him snorting.

 

Magnus spun his engagement ring on his finger, something that he did more and more often, trying desperately not to think about the fact that this was his existence now. Lonely, boring, nobody to talk to but himself. And he barely answered back.

 

What Magnus wouldn’t give for a decent martini, a flavourful steak and a red hot shower right now. What he wouldn’t give to be sharing those things with Alec. Unfortunately, without the love of his life, the martini's were too weak and the steaks tasted like ash. And there was no indoor plumbing in Edom. In all honesty, he couldn’t be bothered fixing a nice shower up.

 

Snapping his fingers, Magnus filled the window with an image of Alec, a small smile playing over his lips when the image blinked down at him, a slow smile spreading over image Alec’s face.

 

“I miss you,” Magnus said, brushing his fingers over the glass, wishing that he was actually touching Alec’s skin. He had done this a few times over the last week or so, created a memory video in the window, infinitely more interesting than the view. It would have worried him if he hadn’t been desperate enough to do it. But the thought of never seeing Alec’s face again filled him with the worst kind of dread.

 

_ “How was your day, Magnus?”  _ image Alec asked Magnus, the illusion fueled by Magnus’ memories. It was a clever bit of magic. All Magnus had to do was remember a conversation between them and focus on it, and image Alec asked the same questions and gave the same responses that his Alexander had given during that particular conversation. 

 

Maybe it was unhealthy but it was all Magnus had to hang onto. And he was hanging on by his fingernails at the moment. Speaking of which. He snapped his fingers and completely made his nails over with a thought, watching the green nail polish turn dark blue, the chips filling in. Even the joy of painting his nails had been sucked away by his father’s miserable realm.  _ You’re slipping, Bane!  _

 

Having nobody to impress made Magnus sloppy, he had let himself go immensely. It didn’t help that Edom was ridiculously hot. His hair was limp, his makeup slid down his sweaty face every five minutes and clothes had become optional. It was too hot to bother with layers of fancy clothes so he had taken to wearing silk robes and pants. If there wasn’t a chance of Lilith just wandering in unannounced, even those might have been an afterthought.

 

_ “How was your day, Magnus?”  _ image Alec asked him again, warmth and love shining from those beautiful hazel eyes.

 

“The same as yesterday,” Magnus said, dragging his father’s throne over to sit down in front of the image and talk to his fiance. “I blasted several demons out of the air before breakfast. Found one of them sleeping in my bed after lunch and denied another formal request for a meeting from Lilith before dinner. She wants me to open the rift again,” he said, focusing on image Alec once more.

 

“How was your day? Did you do anything interesting?” Magnus asked, waving his hand to produce a martini. It was warm and didn’t quite have that alluring flavour that Alec always managed to add whenever he mixed the drinks. But it was wet and alcoholic so he sipped it anyway.

 

_ “Usual clave politics. Jia is coming for my job again. I swear she wants every trace of the name Lightwood extinguished from that institute.” _

 

“She’s worried, you are far too popular in Alicante for her liking,” Magnus replied with a shake of his head and another sip of his drink. Maybe the conversation was mundane and boring but those were his most treasured times with Alec - when they sat and talked about their days. It was domestic. 

 

Those conversations weren’t his  _ most  _ treasured memories of Alec but they sustained him. And honestly, the lack of roof kind of dulled the mood for  _ those  _ kinds of activities, so he settled for the conversation instead of rewatching the nights when they had made love to each other. 

 

“What did you do?” Magnus asked, refilling his drink and sipping it slowly before focusing on the conversation they’d had once more.

 

“I portalled to Edom, ran for miles and miles, and fought off hordes of demons to get here. And I’d do it again for just one glimpse of your beautiful face,” Alec said to the back of Magnus’ fancy chair, dropping his rucksack in the doorway, waiting for Magnus to turn around.

 

Magnus stared at Image Alec, mentally scratching his ass. When had Alec ever said that to him?  _ Maybe my vodka had turned funny in the Edom heat?  _ He wondered, peering into his glass and giving it a swirl. A shuffling behind his chair had him closing his eyes.  _ She just won’t let up! _

 

“I already said no, Lilith. I will not open the rift for you. I swear, if you ask me one more time, I will turn you into a lizard. I already have your tank picked out,” Magnus said, not bothering to get up from his seat to look at her. “If you will excuse me, I am trying to have a conversation with my husband,” he said. 

 

“My eyes aren’t that bright and my lips aren’t that plump but I’m flattered you see me that way,” Alec said, leaning over Magnus’ chair when it was obvious that Magnus wasn’t going to get up. So much for the grand entrance that he had planned, the one where he burst in and Magnus instantly fell into his arms. It seemed his fiance was going to make him work for it. 

 

Magnus’ head whipped around so fast that he almost gave himself whiplash. His eyes must have been deceiving him because there Alexander stood, looking far better than Image Alec ever could. Far better than anyone really had a right to look.

 

“Alexander?” Magnus asked, his voice soft and hoarse with emotion, half hoping it was really him, half barely daring to think it. He reached up, a small sob escaping when he felt Alec’s solid arm in his grasp. “What are you doing here?” he choked out, keeping tight hold when Alec stepped around his throne.

 

“I came to spend the rest of my life with my future husband - if you’ll still have me?” Alec asked, yanking Magnus up out of his fancy throne when Magnus let out a sobbing laugh. It took him a fraction of a second to have Magnus in his arms, practically crushing him to his body.

 

“I take it you missed me?” Magnus choked out, nothing to do with emotion and everything to do with how tightly Alec held him. He buried his face in the crook of Alec’s neck when Alec’s arms loosened their hold slightly and moulded his body to Alec’s. Thanking the angel that Alec was somehow there with him, it took him a moment or so to register how cold Alec was. “Alexander?” he asked, frowning as he pulled back.

 

“Wait, how are you here? How are you able to even breathe this realm’s air?” Magnus asked, panic starting to set in, he hadn’t even thought about, too happy to have Alec in his arms. There was no way Alec should even be able to survive the atmosphere.

 

“Uh… so there’s something that I need to…” of course, that would be the moment when Alec’s fangs snapped out. “...tell you,” he muttered around his teeth, sliding his top lip down to wrap over his fangs. The confusion on Magnus’ face had turned to a look of shock.

 

“What happened to you?” Magnus asked, staring at Alec’s mouth, and at the rest of him while he was at it. It took his flailing mind a moment to add two and two together but his heart sank a little when he realised that Alec’s neck rune was gone, his favourite one. “Please don’t tell me that you did this for me?” he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.

 

“How many times do I have to tell you that I’m not going anywhere?” Alec asked, his hand coming up to cup Magnus’ jaw, his thumb sweeping up Magnus cheekbone. “Now I really mean it, you are stuck with me forever,” he nervously joked. 

 

“You gave up your mortality, for me?” Magnus asked, leaning into Alec’s touch. He had missed that most of all. The large hands that could so easily be used to hurt and destroy were so gentle, always touched him so reverently. “I’m not worth…”

 

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence Magnus Lightwood-Bane. I would give my life up for you. Giving up my death is nothing,” Alec said, nodding his head to convince Magnus of the truth of his words. His breath would have caught in his throat when Magnus’ glamour dropped. “There they are, I’ve missed them,” he whispered, taking in every millimetre of Magnus’ cat eyes, his pretty lashes, the lines that radiated from them when Magnus’ expression softened. Beautiful!.

 

Magnus searched Alec’s eyes, looking for regret and finding none. He might be past his fourth century but he’d had so many firsts with Alec. Alec was the first one to capture his attention and his heart in over a century. Alec was the first one to have seen past his magic, seen more in him than just a Warlock for hire. Alec was the first one to ever ask him for his last name or offer his own in return. 

 

And now, Alec was the first one to ever love him enough to move to a realm of hell for him. The first one to ask for his forever. Magnus should be spitting mad that Alec had made this decision without him but he couldn’t bring himself to be angry. Sad for what Alec had sacrificed? Yes. Devastated that Alec had gone to such lengths? Absolutely. But angry? No. Alec had chosen him, something nobody, not even his own parents, had ever done before. How could he be angry at that?

 

“Magnus Lightwood-Bane? I love the sound of that,” Magnus whispered around the lump in his throat, raising his hand to push Alec’s top lip back, one fingertip trailing down the short length of one of Alec’s fangs.  _ Fangs! He’s a Vampire now!   _ “Put these away and kiss me,” he said, gazing into Alec’s eyes. 

 

Alec had to wrestle his fangs back, fighting them when they wanted to stay out but he managed it. Nosing Magnus’ face up, he pressed his lips to Magnus’, his arms tightening around Magnus’ waist when his fiance’s hand found its way into his hair. The soft, gentle brush of lips was even better than he remembered, the second gentle kiss was even better than that.

 

It didn’t take long for Magnus to deepen the kiss. As soon as it truly dawned on him that Alec was right there in his arms, solid, tangible, and not a dream that his desperate mind had conjured, he fell on Alec like a man starved of air. Alec really wasn’t going anywhere, ever again. Even if they had an eternity, he wanted every part of Alec right then and there.

 

“I take it  _ you _ missed  _ me _ ?” Alec murmured between kisses, fighting the urge to grin. It was messing with his kissing skills and it had been far too long since he had felt Magnus’ lips against his own. 

 

“More than you know,” Magnus breathed when Alec’s lips started trailing down his jaw, a burning trail of fire - that had nothing to do with the atmosphere - following in their wake. The sensation of Alec’s lips, mapping a path down the side of his throat had him breathing hard, his head tilting automatically to grant Alec better access.

 

“You smell so good,” Alec murmured, inhaling deeply before pressing another kiss to Magnus’ throat. Every one of his senses had gone into overdrive from the proximity of Magnus’ warm, vital body. Magnus had always affected him, just with his mere presence but right now, his fiance was intoxicating. 

 

Unable and unwilling to stop himself, Alec’s hands slid down from Magnus’ waist, brushing down his hips and over the swell of Magnus’ ass, his passage aided by Magnus’ silky robe. Continuing the path, his hands slid down the back of Magnus’ thighs and pulled.

 

“Fuck!” Magnus breathed when Alec lifted him off of his feet. His legs automatically wrapped around Alec’s waist, his lungs straining for air. It was as though he weighed nothing. The display of strength had him panting as much as Alec’s tongue, licking over the skin of his collar bone, did. Alec had lifted him up before with the aid of his strength rune but the fluidity and grace of Alec’s movements almost had his brain quitting.

 

“I can’t believe I faced living the rest of my life without this,” Magnus said breathlessly, his eyelids fluttering and his hands tightening at Alec's hair and shoulder when Alec sucked at the hollow of his throat. The tingles that spread from the extra sensitive spot shot through his body, his back arching, his head falling back. It was exquisite.

 

“Never again,” Alec murmured, his tongue darting across the hollow of Magnus’ throat once more. The salty tang of Magnus’ skin was divine. It made his legs weak, as it always did. Turning on the spot in an instant, he held Magnus up with one arm and unclamped Magnus’ legs from around his waist, sitting down on Magnus’ throne with Magnus in his lap. “Not enough skin on show,” he muttered.

 

Magnus draped his legs over the arms of the throne, nodding frantically when Alec’s hands pushed under the lapels of his black and gold silk robe. He let his arms fall back, shrugging the robe off when Alec pushed it over his shoulders, to let it slide to the floor. Alec’s lips, exploring his collarbone once more had him wrapping one arm around Alec’s shoulder, the other reaching back to brace himself on Alec’s knee. It gave him the leverage to start rolling his hips.

 

Alec’s fingers reacquainted themselves with Magnus’ spine as he continued to press sucking kisses into Magnus’ chest, his fingers playing over every notch of the perfect arch before settling in the dimples at the base of Magnus’ spine, where they belonged. Letting his thumbs wrap around Magnus’ hips bones, he started to guide Magnus’ hips when they started rocking down on his rapidly hardening dick.

 

Even if Alec didn’t need to breathe, Magnus’ movements had his chest rising and falling rapidly, a low, gravelly moan escaping with the redundant air that he exhaled. Everything was heightened including his need for the man that could take him apart with a flick of his hips and a hot breath on his neck. He pulled back when it became too much, his fangs snapping out once more. That was going to be embarrassing. And honestly, it scared the shit out of him.

 

Magnus looked down when Alec’s lips stopped their path over his chest, breathing hard. The bend of Alec’s neck had his hand moving into the hair at the nape of Alec’s neck, tugging slightly to tilt Alec’s head back.

 

“Alexander? Are you okay?” Magnus asked, searching Alec’s eyes. He straightened up when he saw the embarrassment there, and the fear. “What is it?” he asked softly, taking Alec’s face in his hands. 

 

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Alec mumbled around his teeth, trying to hide them again, his gaze dropping. “It’s just, so much, it’s overwhelming. My brain is screaming at me to take you, to sink my teeth in and I just… I… I can’t hurt you, Magnus.”

 

“I trust you,” Magnus whispered, tugging Alec’s hair once more until Alec looked up at him. “I know that you would never hurt me intentionally. You are strong, Alexander. One of the strongest people I know. And I’m not talking about vampiric strength. You won’t hurt me, you love me too much, hm?”

 

“More than my own life,” Alec said, looking up into Magnus’ eyes, watching the colours flow through them. He had spent hours watching those colours swirl through Magnus’ eyes, deep amber hues mixed with the brightest gold. They were mesmerising. Magnus encanto’d him far more effectively than any Vampire ever could have.

 

“Don’t hide these from me,” Magnus said, his thumbs sweeping down to push Alec’s lip up once more, his thumbs brushing over the elongated teeth. “You accepted every part of me, just as I love and accept every part of you, even the new parts,” he said, meeting Alec’s gaze deliberately before lowering his head. He pressed a kiss to each fang before pressing against Alec’s lips once more.

 

It was strange to Alec, to kiss Magnus like this - with so many teeth in the way - but it was also familiar. Kissing Magnus was like breathing for him. Something that came naturally. Or as naturally as breathing used to come. It was a relief. No matter what else had changed, that hadn’t. 

 

Alec opened his eyes when Magnus pulled back to breathe, a slow smile creeping over his face. He couldn’t stop himself from pouting his lips out, brushing against Magnus’ once, twice, a third time, relief swirling through his stomach. Along with a big fat dollop of love and desire. Magnus accepted him, still loved him, was still as hot for him as always - judging by the roll of Magnus’ hips.

 

Dropping his head, Alec licked a stripe over Magnus’ left nipple, never looking away from those mesmerising eyes. Until Magnus’ eyelids fluttered. Probably something to do with him sucking Magnus’ nipple into his mouth, forcing his fangs back so he didn’t nick the soft skin.

 

“I think I’m not the only one with too many clothes on,” Magnus gasped out, his hips bucking forward from the sensation of Alec’s cool lips and tongue on his bare skin. Alec’s jacket and shirt disappeared with a snap of his fingers, cool relief flooding him when Alec’s skin pressed up against his. “You’re like my own personal AC,” he giggled. 

 

Alec had to laugh then, his eyes lighting up when Magnus looked down at him before bursting into a fit of giggles. It was his favourite look on Magnus, that big toothy laugh where Magnus flashed all of his teeth and his eyes and nose scrunched up. 

 

“I suppose it’s a good thing we’re in Edom, I was worried I would be too cold for you,” Alec said, smirking into Magnus’ chest where it bounced against his face. The smirk grew wider when a lick to Magnus’ right nipple had a shudder running through his Warlock.

 

“Too cold? You’re hotter than hell, Alexander Lightwood-Bane,” Magnus said, the laugh dying in his throat when Alec’s head snapped up, Alec’s pupils wide, a shudder running through his Vampire.

 

“Say it again,” Alec said, his gut clenching from the sound of Magnus’ name attached to his own.

 

“You’re hotter than hell?” Magnus teased, batting his lashes at Alec, biting into his bottom lip when Alec shook his head. He leaned forward, tugging Alec’s hair once more to tilt his head back. “Alexander Lightwood-Bane,” he whispered in Alec’s ear, his tongue tracing the curve of Alec’s ear when a full-on body shudder ran through Alec.

 

Alec’s hips jerked up, his hands tightening their grip on Magnus’ hips to pull him down onto his dick. The husky, breathless moan that fell from Magnus’ lips had him doing it again, breathing just as hard as Magnus when Magnus rocked in his lap with the motion, working with his movements. 

 

“I need more, I need all of you,” Magnus panted, wrapping both arms around Alec’s neck, his hips moving faster. The perfect grind of Alec’s dick, digging up into his own solid length was breathtaking.

 

“Do the magic thing,” Alec muttered, his hand sliding across the base of Magnus’ spine, his fingers dipping into the waistband of Magnus’ silky pyjama pants to grab a handful of Magnus’ ass.

 

The cold burn of Alec’s skin against his own - when Magnus snapped his fingers once more to remove the last of their clothing - was absolute perfection. The perfect counterbalance to his overheated body. He surged forward, tugging Alec’s face up and slammed his lips to Alec’s, flicking his tongue over Alec’s plump bottom lip and sliding past Alec’s teeth when Alec opened up for him.

 

Magnus moaned into Alec’s mouth when one cool finger trailed up the crack of his ass, his hips rocking once more. He needed to get Alec’s finger closer to where he wanted it. The scratch of Alec’s chest hair against his own smooth chest was the last straw. Waving his hand, he fought Alec for dominance when Alec’s fingers turned slick against his skin.

 

“What do you want?” Alec asked, pulling back to let Magnus breathe, his fingers teasing the sensitive skin around Magnus’ hole. “Tell me what you want,” he whispered in Magnus’ ear before taking the lobe in his mouth, clamping down gently with his natural teeth.

 

“Oh god… I want you to fuck me... with your fingers,” Magnus panted, rolling his hips down, pushing down onto two of Alec’s fingers when they held still. The slow, burning stretch was everything! He took every inch of Alec’s long fingers into himself, slowly enough to open himself up. They were cool enough to ease the burn, something that he was thankful for. 

 

No Image or memory of Alec could ever do justice to that feeling. The feeling of being filled by the man he loved more than anything.

 

The heat of Magnus’ body pushed against Alec with every thudding beat of his Warlock’s heart. He could hear it, banging a tattoo in Magnus’ chest. He could hear everything, every beat, every soft, panting breath, the sound of his slick fingers, sinking into Magnus’ body, the small husky noise that always built in the back of Magnus’ throat whenever they kissed or fucked. And he relished every sound and reaction.

 

Alec had seen that beautiful expression on Magnus’ face before, had watched the pleasure bloom on his face but he had never seen Magnus like this before, not with these eyes. It was like looking at the sun. His vision enhanced every line and plane of Magnus’ face, each tiny bead of sweat that broke out across his Fiance’s forehead. 

 

“I’ve missed this,” Magnus breathed against Alec’s lips, pouting his own forward to catch Alec’s lips in a bruising kiss as he started to move. Rocking on Alec’s fingers - two buried in his ass - his breathing became erratic, bursting out of him with every rise and fall.

 

Alec tilted his head back further when Magnus’ fingers tightened in his hair, catching every moan when Magnus invaded his mouth once more. Using the one tiny corner of his mind that was still working - the perfect friction on his dick from Magnus’ rocking hips threatening to steal even that from him - he reminded himself of his new strength when he curled his fingers and brushed the tips of them over Magnus’ prostate, listening to Magnus’ sounds to gauge the pressure.

 

“A little harder,” Magnus said, his voice husky and raw in his throat. The pressure was maddeningly soft. “You won’t break me… fuck… just like that,” he moaned when the touch turned more insistent. The temperature of Alec’s fingers made it even better, the constant, cool pressure building until shockwaves started pulsing through the bundle of nerves there.

 

Magnus started moving faster when Alec added a little more pressure, chasing the waves of pleasure that radiated through him, spreading to every extremity. His dick had started leaking a steady flow of pre-cum, beading up again and again with every sure brush, the pleasure only intensifying when Alec’s nails scraped across his nerves.

 

“Please fuck me, Alexander, I need to feel you inside me now, before I cum,” Magnus gasped out when a particularly strong wave of pleasure burst through him, his breath stuttering out in a ragged staccato that would have been embarrassing with anyone other than his Alexander.

 

Alec’s eyes rolled into the back of his head when Magnus’ slick hand reached between them and took his dick in hand. The grind had been one thing but the tight grip of Magnus’ slippery hand threatened to steal every ounce of the limited self-control that he had been holding over himself. Pushing up into Magnus’ hand, a low moan scraped its way up his throat - the grip reassuringly tight when Magnus pushed his foreskin back and massaged the head of his cock with his thumb.

 

“I almost forgot how perfect that hand is,” Alec muttered, bucking into Magnus’ hand, again and again. Wanting Magnus to get as much pleasure as he was receiving, he curled his own fingers, his dick straining to get at Magnus when Magnus let out a mewling whimper from the constant pressure.

 

All Magnus could do was nod frantically when Alec pulled his fingers out and lifted him up. Unable to stop staring at Alec’s arms - which didn’t even have the decency to shake from holding his full weight up in the air - he positioned Alec’s dick at his hole, his eyes slamming closed when Alec pushed his hips down.

 

“Yes, fuck!” Magnus mumbled into the crook of Alec’s neck as Alec’s dick slowly stretched and filled him. It took him a moment to catch his breath when he was fully seated in Alec’s lap once more, enjoying the feeling of his dick wedged between his hot body and Alec’s cool one. The feeling of Alec inside him had a small giggle bursting from him.

 

“What are you laughing at?” Alec asked, barely able to get the words out through the heady pleasure of Magnus hot, tight body, wrapped around his dick. The gleam in Magnus’ eyes when his fiance pulled back to look at him had him shaking his head and raising an eyebrow.

 

“Your dick feels like an ice pack in my ass,” Magnus said, unable to stop himself from shaking with laughter. There was always that slight burn whenever he was stretched to capacity, his fiance wasn’t a small man by any means. The temperature soothed that away in an instant. “It’s going to make taking your dick much easier,” he said with a wink.

 

Alec couldn’t help but join in Magnus’ laughter, shaking his head at his ridiculous Warlock. Even when the shake of Magnus’ body threatened to have him cum there and then. The clench of Magnus’ ass was real! He couldn’t deny that he had been worried that Magnus wouldn’t want him like this anymore, that he would be too different. But it was just them, Magnus was still Magnus and he was still himself. It was the same as it had always been.

 

“Show me what you’ve got, Mr Lightwood-Bane,” Magnus smirked, flashing his eyes at Alec when Alec’s fangs snapped out. It seemed that he wasn’t the only one who couldn’t control his Downworlder nature in check when it came to his desire for his fiance now.

 

Alec accepted then and there that he would have no control over his teeth from that point forward. Magnus made him lose control of himself at the best of times. Instead of recoiling and running for the hills when they pushed through his gums without his say so, Magnus flashed his Warlock mark at him and grinned. This man was made for him.

 

“How could I resist when you ask so nicely, Mr Lightwood-Bane?” Alec asked with a grin. Pushing his arms beneath Magnus’ legs, he slid his hands up Magnus’ thighs and ass, to grip his hips, lifting his fiance off of his dick. The resistance of the strong, tight muscle of Magnus’ asshole was breathtaking when he dropped Magnus on his dick. It squeezed every inch on his way down.

 

Magnus’ arms tightened their hold on Alec’s neck, a low, husky moan pouring from his lips, his legs flailing over the crooks of Alec’s elbows for a minute. He very much liked what Alec had. “Again,” he moaned in Alec’s ear, the stretch of his asshole drawing the word out.

 

Breathing seemed to be a thing of the past for Magnus too when Alec did it again, lifting him and pushing slowly up into him when he sank onto Alec’s dick again. The steady rhythm that Alec set up had him holding on tightly, breathing hard from the perfection of every inch that filled him.

 

“You feel so good wrapped around my dick like that. You have to tell me if it’s too much,” Alec breathed, waves of pleasure coursing through him every time he fucked into Magnus’ body, using the armrests of the throne for better leverage to drive his hips upwards. It was a lesson in control like he had never faced before to measure the movements, to not just slam into Magnus like he used to.

 

It also took every ounce of Alec’s self-control not to sink his teeth into the beautiful neck, millimetres from his face. The pounding of Magnus’ pulse was like a siren call, his tongue snaking over the salty, supple skin of Magnus’ neck for a moment before he got a grip of himself and forced his head back.  _ By the angel, he smells so fucking good!  _ The thought almost distracted him from Magnus’ movements.

 

“Don’t scratch me!” Alec choked out, his hips stuttering in their relentless drive to be as close to Magnus as possible when he felt Magnus’ fingers slide down his back.

 

“But you love it when I scratch your back,” Magnus panted, his eyes rolling in his head when Alec’s dick scraped over his prostate. The sensation made him want to dig his nails into Alec’s back, needing something to hold onto. And Alec loved it when he did just that.

 

“I’ve got the mark of Cain,” Alec said, squeezing Magnus’ hips -his fingers buried in Magnus’ back dimples once more - for a better grip when Magnus pulled back to look at him. “I needed it to protect us both from Lilith,” he said when Magnus’ eyes widened.

 

“So no spanking then?” Magnus pouted when the information had sunk in, his heart stuttering from Alec wanting to protect him, even if he could take care of Lilith himself. Alec liked a light spanking now and then as much as he liked to walk around with the scratch marks under his shirt.

 

“Not unless you want to feel like I've Cained you within an inch of your life,” Alec said with a wink before it sunk in that Magnus would never be able to spank him again. It wasn’t like he had packed a paddle into the rucksack that still sat by the arched doorway where he had dropped it, but still...

 

“Cained?” Magnus asked, roaring with laughter at the pun. With nothing else to hold onto, he reached up and gripped the headrest of the throne behind Alec’s head, winking when he started bouncing on Alec’s dick. “I suppose I could always let you spank me,” he chuckled, the laugh turning to the most indecent moan he had ever let escape his lips when Alec thrust up into his ass with a ringing slap of skin.

 

“Maybe I will - if you’re naughty enough,” Alec said, laughing when Magnus’ eyes flashed the brightest gold.

 

“Oh, I think we both know how naughty I can be, Alexander,” Magnus said, the seductive tone that he was aiming for turning to a whimpering moan from the constant pressure on his prostate. He didn’t have it in him to care about how desperate he sounded when he moaned, “fuck me harder.”

 

“Touch yourself, I want to watch,” Alec muttered, fucking into Magnus again and again. He drew blood, one fang sinking into his bottom lip when Magnus reached down with one hand and started jerking himself off in the limited amount of space between them.

 

Magnus watched the small drop of blood bead on Alec’s lip when he wrapped his hand around his dick and started tugging with twisting jerks, the friction exactly what he needed. 

 

Looking into Alec’s eyes, he lowered his head and licked the drop of blood off of Alec’s lip, moaning when it exploded over his tongue. He had had Vampire blood during sex before and it heightened everything about the experience. It wasn’t something that he would repeat often - it could become addictive, but right at that moment - he couldn’t help himself.

 

Alec was left wondering when the sight of blood had become such a turn on but watching Magnus’ tongue run over his bottom lip, the small drop on his tongue had him surging forward to capture Magnus’ lips. The taste of his own blood and Magnus was a heady combination, only making him fuck Magnus faster.

 

“Fuck, Alexander… fuck! I’m gonna cum,” Magnus muttered, a guttural moan ripping from him when his balls drew up. It was all too much, the perfect pressure in his ass, the intoxicating Vampire blood on his tongue, the look in Alec’s eyes. His eyelids fluttered as he came between them, painting both of their stomachs white. The sight of his cum in Alec’s chest hair when he opened his eyes was almost enough to make him cum again.

 

“You look so fucking hot when you cum like that,” Alec moaned, torn between staring up into Magnus’ eyes and watching his fiance tug himself through his orgasm. His hips took over when Magnus bit into his bottom lip again, the action catching his eye and turning him on even more. 

 

Alec buried his face in the junction of Magnus’ neck and shoulder when he felt his own orgasm build with every thrust of his hips. The deep breath that he sucked in, the scent of Magnus’ blood so close to the surface, pushed him over the edge. He buried his deep, gravelly moan in Magnus’ skin when he came deep inside Magnus’ ass, pushing Magnus down onto his dick. His balls contracted with the pleasure of his release when Magnus started grinding on his dick with a small rocking motion of his hips.

 

“I. Fucking. Love. You,” Magnus muttered, his breath exploding out of him when Alec caught his lips in a crushing kiss. Letting go of the throne’s headrest, he slid his hands into Alec’s hair, gripping tightly to give just as good as he got. A filthy moan escaped between hot, biting kisses when he pressed himself into Alec’s chest, his cool cum swirling over their skin.

 

“Not as much as I love you,” Alec gasped out between kisses, pulling his arms out from beneath Magnus’ legs to wrap around his waist. He lifted Magnus off of his dick, swirling his tongue into his fiance’s mouth to distract him from the movement, and stood with Magnus still wrapped around him. “Show me where the bedroom is in this place because I haven't had enough of you yet,” he said.

 

“I thought you’d never ask,” Magnus grinned against Alec’s lips, laughing when Alec started chuckling and carrying him in the direction he waved at. The vibrations that ran through Alec’s body was doing interesting things to his dick where it was wedged between them. He couldn't wait to see what it felt like to sink his dick into Alec’s new body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If y'all thought they weren't making good use of that throne then you'd be dead wrong. Don't worry, they will have the talk properly after they've finished being a couple of thirsty mofo's.


	6. Chapter 6

Magnus rolled onto his side and pushed his hand beneath his pillow to watch Alec sleep. He should have been sleeping, himself, but the lack of snores from beside him had his gut clenching. 

 

They had found the bedroom, and the doorway at the back of the throne room, and the hallway, on the way to the bedroom, and lost themselves in each other, over and over again. Then they had both fallen into an exhausted sleep in the bed that they now lay in. But it hadn’t taken Magnus long to wake again when he had snuggled up to Alec in his sleep, only to lurch up when he had realised that Alec wasn’t breathing.

 

It had taken Magnus a minute to catch up to why that was and he hadn’t been able to get back to sleep since. It was too nerve-wracking not to feel the steady rise and fall of Alec’s chest beneath his head.

 

Reaching out, Magnus brushed the stray hair out of Alec’s eyes, watching him sleep. The stillness made him want to gather Alec in his arms and reassure himself that Alec was indeed alive. Alec was able to feign breathing while he was awake but it had stopped when he had fallen asleep. And it was disconcerting as hell. Knowing that it would take some getting used to hadn’t made it any easier for sleep to claim him once more.

 

Magnus couldn’t help but cup Alec’s cheek, wanting to hold his world in his hand. He loved Alec, more than he thought it was possible to love someone. He had never felt this strongly about anyone in all of his centuries. But it broke his heart that Alec had sacrificed so much for him. Alec had given up his family, his mortality, and his home for him and he couldn’t help but feel a little unworthy of such sacrifices. Barring some horrific accident of fate, Alec would never face the promise of death after a long and happy life.

 

That thought made him feel even guiltier. Because he was thanking every angel that had ever existed that Alec would never face the long peaceful sleep after his life was over. It would never be over.

 

Magnus had had mortal lovers in the past and had even held a couple of them in his arms as they had taken their final breaths. He knew that Alec would be beautiful to him, whatever age Alec was. But the thought of Alec - old and grey, putting all of his burdens down and letting go of his hold on life - wasn’t something that he could ever have come to terms with. No matter how many times he had told himself that that was a Warlock’s lot. 

 

Even now, after all of the years since death had separated Magnus from each of those lovers, he knew where their graves were, had even left a flower on those graves now and then, just to prove that somebody remembered the mark that those people had left on the world. 

 

But he couldn’t even imagine a gravestone with Alec’s name on it. He couldn’t imagine standing beside that vague, non-existent grave in 60, 100, 1000 years, placing a flower there to tell the world that Alec had existed and been loved. He had tried to reconcile that image with his beautiful, loving, alive Alexander more than once in preparation for the day when he would have to say goodbye and failed every time

 

_ But he does have a grave. He died to come here, for you.  _ That thought had Magnus’ gut twisting. Alec had died to become what he was now. He would have crawled out of a grave to get to Edom. 

 

Scenarios flashed through Magnus’ head - as they had been for the last few hours - images of all of the different ways Alec could have done it. Each one was like a knife to his gut. What if it had been painful or drawn out?

 

Just the thought of it had Magnus’ hand tightening its grip, dashing his tears away with the other. He had to tell himself that Alec was there, right next to him, even as he watched Alec sleep. He had to tell himself that Alec would never die again, that he would have an eternity with the beautiful man beside him.

 

What did it say about him that he was thankful that Alec would never die now? That Alec was saddled with the same cursed existence as him? Did it make him selfish, that he wanted to keep Alec around for his eternity? 

 

The days when Magnus had lost his magic and immortality had let him come to terms, somewhat, with his immortality. Or at least, he had come to accept that immortality came part and parcel with his magic and if he wanted one, he had to accept the other. It had been easier to reconcile the two when there was a possibility that he would never get his endless existence back. There had been a hairy moment when he had arrived in Edom and realised that he was facing it once more, just as alone as he had been so many times.

 

Now, his own immortality didn’t scare him as much as it used to. Maybe it was because he  _ had  _ faced a mortal existence, maybe it was because Alec would be there with him and he wouldn’t have to face it alone.

 

But Magnus had struggled with the idea of forever so many times over his life and knew that Alec would also have those moments when it all became too much. Alec was never meant to know that struggle. How could he want that for Alec and still be able to say that he loved him?

 

“Stop thinking so loudly, I’m trying to sleep,” Alec mumbled without opening his eyes. Reaching out, going by the sound of Magnus’ heartbeat picking up, he wrapped his arm around Magnus’ waist and pulled him flush against his body.

 

“What are you worrying about?” Alec asked when he felt the tension in Magnus body where it was pressed against his own. Opening his eyes, he stared into Magnus’ worried, glamoured eyes, searching for the problem.  _ Has he been crying? _ He wondered, seeing how bloodshot Magnus’ red-rimmed eyes were.

 

“Nothing,” Magnus said with a tight smile, twining their legs together beneath the sheets and burying his face in Alec’s chest. The tickle of hair against his nose and lips felt so right, as did the rise and fall of Alec’s chest again, now that his Vampire was awake.  _ My Vampire. Will I ever get used to that?  _ He wondered.

 

“You forget who you’re talking to,” Alec said quietly, tugging Magnus’ head up by his chin. “Alec Lightwood-Bane,” he said, tapping himself on the chest. “Future Husband and Consort of Magnus Lightwood-Bane, Prince of Edom, remember,” he said, tapping Magnus on the chest with a raised eyebrow. He knew every one of Magnus’ moods and he knew when Magnus was worrying. He could feel the tension in every inch of the warm body pressed against him.

 

“That's what I'm worried about,” Magnus muttered, looking around at the roofless bedroom. “It’s not exactly home, is it? I’m worried that you will hate it here, and that you will regret leaving your life behind for me. I’m worried that you will come to resent me for giving up your mortality,” he said honestly. Alec was right, he was talking to his future husband.

 

If there was one thing that Magnus had learned over the last few weeks, it was how important it was to communicate with Alec properly. Which meant baring his deepest fears to Alec. Staring into Alec’s eyes, he realised that maybe it was okay to be vulnerable in front of him and that Alec wouldn’t think him weak for it.

 

“We found out that Lilith was planning a coup against you and my first thought was to ask Simon to turn me - so that I could be here with you. Do you know what he said?” Alec asked, continuing when Magnus shook his head. 

 

“He told me to think about it. About what it would mean. So I did. I looked at it from every angle that I could see. I weighed up the pros and cons. Not just of becoming a Vampire, but of what eternity would actually mean. I thought about what it would take to become this way and what that would do to my family, what it would do to me to give them up,” Alec said.

 

“You always did like to think a situation through before acting,” Magnus said with a small smile, moving a little closer. “But you sacrificed so much…”

 

“So did you,” Alec said, shaking his head. “Why do you see your sacrifices as less than mine? You were ready to spend eternity here, on your own, so that we could be safe. So that the world could be safe. How many sacrifices have you made for us? You gave up your magic, your friends, your life, for me and those we love.”

 

“I was thinking the same about you,” Magnus admitted, a shaky laugh escaping. Trust Alec to spit his own thoughts back at him.

 

“How could I not? I couldn’t just leave you here, Magnus. It wasn’t easy, I didn’t just throw it all away. Trust me, I thought about it. I also thought about what it would mean for me if I didn’t come here. That was a bleak picture. You’ve become such an intrinsic part of my life that I couldn’t see one without you in it,” Alec said, his fingers playing over Magnus’ waist.

 

“Neither could I. I was talking to a window when you found me,” Magnus said, shaking his head when Alec pursed his lips. He was pretty sure Alec was trying not to laugh. “You shouldn’t have had to give it all up for me though. And I hate that you had to make that decision on your own. I should have been there for you, to explain to you exactly what this life would mean. I’ve been there, Alexander, I know the toll an endless existence can take.”

 

“I didn’t give it up for you, I gave it up for myself,” Alec said, thinking about the reasons that he’d had for what he had done. “I gave it up for both of us. I hated the idea of you being here on your own but I also hated the idea of you having to move past me when my mortal life ended. And I hated the idea of leaving you even more,” he said, his hand tightening at Magnus’ hip. He wanted to hold on and never let go.

 

“It was my decision to make, Magnus. It was my life to give up. Yes, you should have been a part of that decision process physically but you weren’t there, you were here, facing Lilith alone. And that was one of the deciding factors for me because I know that if our positions had been reversed, nothing would have stopped you from coming for me,” Alec said, a knowing expression on his face.

 

“Of course I would. I would follow you to any realm,” Magnus huffed out, it was obvious. 

 

“Exactly,” Alec said with a smug smirk before his expression softened. “You were there spiritually though. You were a big factor in my decision but I didn’t just do this for you. I did it for myself because I can’t live without you, Magnus. And I couldn’t leave you one day. Especially knowing what you gave up for me. We can’t live without each other and there was another option there so I took it.”

 

“You might regret it one day. This is not an easy life, Alexander. There will be times when the burden of so many years becomes too much, times when you will ask yourself why you did it. I don’t want you to look back and wish that you had taken a different path,” Magnus said - his deepest fear - the fear that Alec would find it all too much to bear. 

 

“I’m not delusional enough to think that every day of our lives is gonna be perfect. We’ll have our days where we will fight, we’ll have our problems. I mean, it’s us, there’s always some problem that we have to deal with,” Alec said, nodding his head when Magnus agreed with a roll of his eyes. 

 

“But we will have each other. You’ll be there for me when those moments rear up, someone who understands what I’m going through. And I’ll be there for you. You aren’t on your own anymore Magnus, you’ll never have to face that again,” Alec said, making a promise - to always be there - one that he could now keep.

 

“You’re the first person to ever say that and mean it,” Magnus said, raising his hand to cup Alec’s jaw, his fingers sliding into the hair at the back of Alec’s head. His heart felt like it was about to burst with love for Alec. His father was the only one who had ever promised to be there forever but that was only to use his power. Asmodeus had never said those words out of love. 

 

Maybe his father had loved him in his own way. But Asmodeus’ idea of love was a warped one. Love wasn’t using another person - or using those that they loved against them. It was giving up a vital part of yourself to protect the one you loved - because it would help them or ease their suffering. Love was the selfless act of caring for another more than you cared for yourself and having those feelings reciprocated. Something that he had found in Alec.

 

“You might hate this place but do you regret coming here to save us all?” Alec asked, wanting to drive the point home for Magnus. The tension had been slowly draining from Magnus’ body but his new eyes could see it lingering in the crinkles around Magnus’ eyes. 

 

“No. It was one of the hardest things that I have ever done but I can’t bring myself to regret it. Knowing that the people that I love and care for are safe gave me the strength to stay here when all I wanted to do was return,” Magnus said, combing his fingers into the hairs on Alec’s chest and tugging slightly. “At least with me here, you all would get to have a future and that was enough for me.”

 

“Don’t you see? You are the one that I want to keep safe. I wanted  _ you _ to have a future. I wanted to have a future with you. If that meant coming to Edom, then so be it,” Alec said, smiling when Magnus’ eyes flicked up to meet his gaze. The smile widened when Magnus leaned forward the couple of inches that separated them and kissed the tip of his nose.

 

Magnus kissed the dimple in Alec’s nose, his forehead, his cheek. He promised himself then and there that he would make each of Alec’s sacrifices count. He would be worthy of the man who had come to a new realm for him. But he had to be sure.

 

“Are you really ready to give up your own future? Your family?” Magnus asked, looking up into Alec’s eyes. This was the conversation that he should have had with Alec before Alec had taken that last irreversible step. While he didn’t regret saving his friends and family, he did regret that he wasn’t there to ask those vital questions.

 

“While I will always love my family, you are my future. I couldn’t stay for them. I’ve lived my entire life for others,” Alec said, being selfish for once, and not minding, for once. “But we only get one life, no matter how short or long, and I have to live mine for me, not them. You’re the love of my life, the only love that I will ever have. I might be a Vampire now but I was still Nephilim and Nephilim only love once. 

 

“This ring was no joke and neither were my promises of forever,” Alec said as he brushed his finger over the engagement ring on Magnus’ finger where Magnus cupped his face, twisting the metal band with small brushes of his fingers. “You are my future Husband, how were we supposed to get married if you were here and I was there, huh?” he asked. 

 

Magnus let out a shaky laugh, his thumb sweeping up and down Alec’s cheek when Alec leaned into his touch. Maybe an eternity wouldn't be so bad if he had Alec at his side? Maybe those times where it became too much would come less often, now that he had someone to share the burden with? And he could see that Alec had thought about it. He hoped Alec would still continue to surprise him when they had centuries under their belts, his Vampire was certainly still full of them.

 

“I don’t like the sound of this future husband business,” Magnus said, tightening his hold when Alec made to pull back. “The future sounds far too vague. I want to be married to you now,” he said with a wink.

 

“Now?” Alec chuckled, turning his head to press a kiss to Magnus’ palm. “There’s only one problem with that, Love. There’s nobody here to marry us,” he said against Magnus skin. The glint in Magnus’ eye had his gut churning in the best way.

 

“Who said we need someone to marry us?” Magnus asked, levering himself onto one elbow to look down at Alec. “Prince of Edom, remember? If there isn’t anyone to officiate then I’ll make a new law. If we agree that we are married, then we are married,” he shrugged. If they were waiting for someone else to come along and pronounce them married, they would be waiting a long time. Edom wasn’t exactly crawling with priests or silent brothers or Warlock elders.

 

“Can you do that?” Alec asked, his voice low and husky, staring up at Magnus. As a man who had spent his life living by the rules, he didn’t know whether to be appalled that Magnus had just made up a law like that or turned on. 

 

“Who’s going to stop me? Lilith? I’d like to see her try,” Magnus said with a sly grin. Technically, he had the power to do it. Who was going to come along and tell him that he couldn’t? “It’s not like we have to live by the rules of the mortal realm anymore, is it? Whether we like it or not, this is our realm now. We are the rulers of it, which means we make the rules.” 

 

“Okay,” Alec said, rolling onto his back to stare up into Magnus’ eyes, more than a little turned on by the display of power. Magnus was right, they weren’t in the mortal realm with their rules about who could marry who, and who got to decide that. “We are married then,” he said, smiling against Magnus’ lips when his new husband leaned over him.

 

“Slow down, you old romantic, you. I said that we could declare ourselves married, I didn’t say that we don’t get to have a wedding,” Magnus said, pouting his lips forward to give Alec a chaste peck on the lips. “I’ve waited four centuries to get married to you. If you think that we aren’t having a ceremony, you are sorely mistaken, Alexander,” he said.

 

“Okay. I Alexander Gideon Lightwood, do take you, Magnus Bane...” Alec trailed off distractedly, his fingers playing over Magnus’ hip, pulling him closer. He  _ really _ liked that Magnus was just making laws up. And he was more than ready to marry Magnus in this bed. Especially if it meant getting to the consummation faster.

 

“Not here,” Magnus laughed, pressing a finger to Alec’s lips before dropping a kiss there. “Maybe we could do something a little more formal, it is the most important day of our lives, after all. This is the day we make our promises. I think that warrants clothes at least,” he said, letting his eyes linger on Alec’s bare chest for a moment before shaking himself off. Yes, they needed clothes at the very least.

 

“Fine,” Alec huffed, throwing the sheets back. If Magnus wanted to dress him in head to toe designer gear he would wear it, just to get to call Magnus his husband that bit faster. “Do the magic thing because I didn’t bring anything close to a suit,” he said, waving his hands in the direction of his body.

 

“A suit? I think we can go one better than that, Alexander,” Magnus said, unable to move from the bed for a moment. He feigned thinking as he shamelessly ogled his fiance’s gloriously naked body, taking in every inch. The missing runes still gave him a little pang but he loved every cell that made Alec up and he understood that it had to happen in order for Alec to be there.

 

“Better than a suit? Like… a tux?” Alec asked, a visible shiver running through him. He was practically drooling at the thought of Magnus wearing a tux, one of his favourite looks on him. His dick gave an interested twitch when Magnus rose gracefully from the bed and stretched out. The gliding muscles under Magnus’ golden skin had him around the bed in an instant.

 

Magnus started when Alec was in front of him instantaneously, not expecting the move. It seemed everything was going to take him a minute to get used to. Except for the way Alec grabbed his shoulders and pulled him closer, that he was used to.

 

“Unhand me, I am an engaged man,” Magnus chuckled, taking Alec’s wandering hands in his own. They wouldn’t be getting married any time soon if Alec didn’t behave himself. Not that he was any less guilty than Alec when it came to shameless thirst.

 

Alec would have rolled his eyes at the joke but he was too busy imagining Magnus saying the words “married man”.

 

Magnus snapped his fingers and cleaned them up with his magic, all of the accumulated dirt, sweat and bodily fluids disappeared, leaving both of them fresh and clean. Both of their hair shining and styled perfectly in their preferred styles, both of them smelling of his sandalwood cologne, with minty fresh breath. The confused expression on Alec’s face had him explaining.

 

“There are no showers here. I’m not even sure if there is fresh water,” Magnus said, looking up at the dying sun. He hadn’t exactly explored the realm yet. For all he knew, there weren't even any oceans in Edom. There was certainly no moon to control the sway of a tide.

 

“But you love taking showers,” Alec said, wrapping his arms around Magnus’ waist. Maybe after the wedding, they could fix the place up. And install a shower. Their morning showers were usually a highlight of his day. Magnus’ too.

 

“We will think of something,” Magnus said, realising that they would have to do something about their living arrangements. This was their home now and they had to make the best of the situation. Which meant that he had to stop sulking and pull his finger out. “Get dressed and meet me in the throne room in twenty minutes,” Magnus said, snapping his fingers and giving Alec a chaste peck on the lips before strolling out of the room.

 

Alec watched Magnus go, as naked as the day the Warlock was born. A deep sigh of relief escaped him when he saw that his rucksack now sat on the bed, along with a large white box, tied with gold ribbon. It took him all of ten seconds to fall on the bottles of blood inside his bag, starving after all of the energy he had worked off with Magnus during the night.

 

“Oh, I almost forgot…” Magnus trailed off when he returned to the bedroom for Alec’s ring and saw Alec draining a large bottle of blood like somebody was going to steal it from him, blood dripping from Alec’s chin.

 

“Magnus… I uh…” Alec shoved the bottle behind his back, out of Magnus’ sight. It felt strange that his heart wasn’t pounding out of his chest, that’s the reaction that he felt like he should be having. Apart from when he had first woken and been blood-crazed, he hadn’t drunk blood in front of anyone else, it was still too new to him. Too weird. And he didn’t want to see the looks of disgust on his loved one's faces.

 

“You don’t have to hide it you know?” Magnus asked when he had gotten himself together, crossing the room to tug Alec’s hands from behind his back. He followed the action when Alec’s tongue darted out to remove any traces of the blood from his lips. “It will take some getting used to but we can do it together, okay?” he said, nodding his encouragement.

 

“This is your diet now, don’t hide the blood. You have nothing to be ashamed of,” Magnus said. He had dated Vampires before, Camille had been one. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen what a Vampire’s diet was like first hand. “And if you are thirsty, you only need to ask. None of this waiting until I’m not in the room,” he said, peering into the bag on the bed and pulling the two bottles out of it.

 

“I wasn’t waiting until you were out of the room, we were busy last night,” Alec said, watching for Magnus’ reaction when he gingerly raised the bottle to his lips. He sipped it a little more slowly, relieved when Magnus didn’t pull a face.

 

“Is this all you have?” Magnus asked, holding the bottles up, raising an eyebrow in question at the grimace when Alec took another swig.

 

“Yeah, I was dreading having to ask you to conjure more for me,” Alec admitted. Before a thought struck him, something that he hadn’t even thought about, just assumed. “You will be able to conjure more for me, won’t you?” he asked with a lurching stomach. He couldn’t feed on Magnus. Aside from not wanting to hurt his husband, they couldn’t risk getting addicted to each other, it would destroy them. 

 

“Of course, don’t worry, it’s nothing that I can’t handle with a snap of my fingers,” Magnus said, wondering if Alec had even thought about how he was going to feed down here. There weren’t exactly a tonne of mundanes down here and it wasn’t like Alec could drink demon blood.

 

Alec’s stomach settled, relief flooding him as he internally cursed himself out for not thinking that part through. So much for his carefully thought out plan. He drained the rest of the bottle with a few more gulps, grimacing at the taste of it. 

 

“It tastes stale because it hasn’t been refrigerated but I prefer it warm,” Alec said, his eyes darting away from embarrassment once more when Magnus looked at him with a question in his eyes. The heat of the realm - while it didn’t affect him - did nothing for keeping his supply fresh.

 

“Hey, don’t. We all have to eat. Don’t suffer out of embarrassment. I’ll conjure you more and keep it cold with my magic until you are ready for it. That should keep it fresh,” Magnus said with a shake of his head, Alec shouldn’t suffer, he wouldn’t judge him for it. “Oh, and you’ve had worse things in your mouth,” he said with a wink before pulling Alec’s engagement ring off his finger and sauntering out of the room.

 

Alec stared after his future husband, wanting to follow like a panting dog. Magnus Bane was something else! Instead - knowing that he wouldn’t get to call Magnus his husband until he had gotten dressed - he untied the bow on the large white box and peeked inside.

 

The tuxedo that Alec pulled out was anything but classic. 

 

The black bowtie and the black pants - pressed to perfection - were expected, as were the shining patent dress shoes. The crisp, pressed shirt, however, was black. The black jacket, knee length, was decorated entirely in a gold brocade of baroque swirls, all picked out in gold raw silk threads.

 

Alec recognised the pattern as the Versace print that Magnus was partial to and upon checking the label, saw that he was correct. A smile spread over his face as he started pulling the tux on. Even if he wasn’t a Shadowhunter anymore, Magnus had made sure he would still marry in gold.  

Alec sat on the bed to pull his shoes on and lace them up. Since he had asked his mother for the Lightwood ring, he had been planning the actual day in his head. None of his plans would now come to fruition. It made his stomach lurch to think that his family wouldn’t be there to see it but he was ready to take Magnus as his husband. More ready than he had ever thought possible. He was desperate for it. 

 

Peering down at himself when he stood and closed the one metal clasp that held his jacket together, just above the high waistband of his pants, Alec deemed himself ready. A nervous chuckle escaped him as he made his way out of the bedroom, fixing his shirt cuffs as he headed for the throne room. He was finally getting married.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While I loved what they wore on the show, what's the point of writing them as the rulers of Edom if I can't give them fancy tux's that look royal af?
> 
> This is the inspiration for Alec's tux but imagine the jacket being longer and a black shirt underneath. That is royal af right there!!! I'll post a pic in the next chapter for what inspired Magnus' outfit.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I just had to be extra as fuck here!!! So here's a wedding invitation. Also, Magnus in this Tux, but with a black shirt, blue cravat and the pattern is blue instead of gold. Insert Lu's "that's hot" gif here!

 

 

 

Magnus snapped his fingers to dress when he dashed from the bedroom for the second time, leaving Alec to get dressed, he had some work to do. The throne room screamed ‘derelict yard sale’ and that just wouldn’t do, not for their wedding.

 

The first thing Magnus did upon reaching the room was to get rid of the piles of books, the grubby curtain that covered the doorway, rubble and dust with a wave of his hand. The second was to conjure bouquet after bouquet of flowers. That plan lasted for all of three seconds when the flowers turned black and died before his eyes.

 

“Damn this demonic atmosphere!” Magnus muttered, conjuring another batch and trying to preserve them with his magic. It didn’t work. He looked around at the bare, plain room with a shake of his head. He wanted it to be perfect and it wasn’t. Why did the universe always have to conspire against him?

 

_ “Calm down, old friend. You’ll burst a blood vessel before you even say your vows.”  _

 

Magnus spun on the spot when the familiar voice broke through his panic, to see his oldest friend, Ragnor Fell, leaning in the arched doorway, watching him. 

 

“I must be panicked if I’m conjuring you,” Magnus said, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips when Ragnor pushed off from the stone and stepped into the room. It wasn't the first time he had conjured Ragnor’s spirit when he needed reassurance and it filled his heart with joy to see his friend’s face once more.

 

_ “Or you knew that I’m the only one who can talk some sense into that thick skull of yours. So, you did find the one who could tear down those walls you built, after all. I never thought I would see the day when you would marry, Magnus. I’m so happy for you, my dear friend.” _

 

“It’s been a long time coming,” Magnus said, grinning when Ragnor stepped forward and brushed a small patch of dust from his shoulders. He could almost feel the action. “What am I going to do with this place? The flowers won’t last five minutes,” he said.

 

_ “We both know that you could design a wedding venue fit for you in five seconds flat. If you can’t have real flowers, you’ll have to use something with a little more substance to it.” _

 

Magnus nodded, looking around before a thought came to him. With an intricate wave of his hands, he created a large wrought iron arch, complete with iron vines and roses snaking around it and placed it in front of his throne. Singular. Another wave of his hand added a second matching throne to stand next to his own. If they were going to rule over Edom then it was only right that Alec got one of his own.

 

_ “Beautiful but I think we need a little more light, don’t you? You actually want to see your groom.” _

 

“Of course, who wouldn’t? Alexander is a feast for the eyes,” Magnus chuckled. With a snap of his fingers, he filled the room with tall pillar candles to brighten it, leaving a wide path that led from the doorway up to the arch. He also conjured four huge crystal and wrought iron chandeliers to hang from the arched ceiling beams, each one with the same roses and vines worked into the metal and filled with hundreds of candles.

 

_ “Perfect. You look good, the room is beautiful and you have your man. Do you have some words prepared?” _

 

“No, Alec steals all of my words on a daily basis,” Magnus chuckled, looking up into his friend's eyes.

 

_ “Then speak from the heart and your words will be true. I wish you both every happiness, it’s what you truly deserve.” _

 

“Thank you, my friend,” Magnus said, his nerves settling when he heard a scuff from the hallway outside. The hand that rested on his shoulder faded with the nerves but he didn’t mourn the loss, it meant that he was ready.

 

Taking up his place beneath the arch, Magnus had to laugh when the word  _ “music”  _ floated through his mind in Ragnor’s voice. Of course, he was missing the music. A final snap of his fingers had the song,  _ At Last,  _ by Etta James, floating through the room. 

 

Magnus felt every word of the song when Alec stepped into the arched doorway of the room. Alec had the power to take his breath away at the best of times but his Vampire looked stunningly beautiful in the black and gold tuxedo that he was wearing. He couldn’t have stopped the grin that spread over his face if he wanted to.

 

Alec paused in the doorway when he spotted Magnus. The beautifully decorated room wasn’t enough to hold his attention, not when Magnus was standing under a pretty arch, looking like a ten-course meal, the cheeseboard and coffee course and the doggy bag of leftovers. 

 

The tuxedo that Magnus wore had Alec’s stomach clenching and his dick aching. The pattern was similar to his own but Magnus’ black pants had a pattern of swirls running down the outer seams. Magnus’ shirt was also black with a royal blue cravat to set it off and plain black vest beneath his jacket.

 

The black jacket, shorter at the front and curving around to a set of tails at the back had a matching border that started behind the collar and swept down the lapels and the closing of the jacket to wrap around the tails and meet at the back, all picked out in royal blue raw silk threads. The cuffs of the sleeves were also bordered by the pattern, finishing it off perfectly.

 

Magnus might have started drooling slightly when Alec walked down the aisle towards him. Right then, he didn’t give a single fuck. Judging by the expression on Alec’s face, he was pretty sure Alec could hear the wild thudding of his heartbeat, only growing more erratic with every step that Alec took.

 

“Hi,” Alec said when he reached Magnus’ side, unable to produce anything more eloquent for the time being. If he still had a heartbeat, it would probably be beating louder than Magnus’, probably in time with his too.

 

“You look stunning,” Magnus said, taking Alec’s hand when it reached for him and raising it to brush his lips over Alec’s knuckles. He happily went when Alec pulled, moulding himself to Alec’s body.

 

“Not as stunning as you, you’re breathtaking,” Alec said, his eyes flicking over Magnus’ body again before finding Magnus’ eyes. His smile was blinding when Magnus dropped his glamour.  _ Perfect!  _

 

“I haven’t prepared anything but a wise man told me that I should speak from the heart,” Magnus said, smiling at the image of Ragnor’s face that flashed through his head as his hands slid around Alec’s waist. “I searched for you for so long, praying that I would find someone who would not only accept every part of me - but love each of those pieces. I had almost given up hope - until you came along.

 

“You see the very depths of my soul and take me as I am. It is more than I ever dared to hope for and I thank the angels for the day that you crashed through my club and into my life. Without you, I was facing eternity alone. Now that future is one that I look forward to, instead of shying away from. Thank you, for choosing to spend your life with me, Alexander,” Magnus said, his words ringing clear above the music. 

 

“It wasn’t even a choice,” Alec said, his hands sliding up Magnus’ arms to rest on his shoulders. “You gave me hope when I thought I’d never find the happiness that others get to have. As a child, I was made to believe that what I was, was wrong. I accepted that I would live a life that was pushed onto me, one that I could never truly live and be happy with.

 

“Then you came and brought me out of the shadows and into the light. You showed me how to accept myself. Because of you, I realised that I didn’t have to live other people’s choices, that I could choose for myself if I was just brave enough to reach out and grab my happiness, you. You make me brave, Magnus. You're my strength. It is me who should be thanking you, for fighting for us when I’d lost my courage,” Alec said gruffly, blinking furiously, remembering the wedding that never was. The day Magnus saved him from himself.

 

Magnus leaned forward and pressed his lips to Alec’s, a lump forming in the back of his throat. He had to clear it when he pulled back, to make his promises.

 

“Alexander Gideon Lightwood. I promise to love you with everything that I am. I promise to stay by your side, to cherish and protect you, for all of the days of our life together. The good and the bad. I will be there for you, on your darkest days, to hold you up and support you, to encourage you when you lose hope. And to share in your every joy, to be the source of that joy, every opportunity that I can. 

 

“I promise to build you up and never let you fall. I will give all of myself to you, knowing that you will love me as I love you. I promise to listen when you need to speak, and to take your side, even when you are wrong,” Magnus chuckled through the tear that rolled down his cheek, staring into Alec’s beautiful hazel eyes.

 

“Magnus Bane. I promise to wipe away every tear that you will ever shed and to fill your days with enough love and happiness, that you will only ever cry tears of joy. I promise to stand by your side, every day, and to hold you close to me on the nights when forever is too much to handle.

 

“I will spend every day of our eternity easing that burden, ensuring that it isn't too much to bear. I promise to support your decisions, to advise you against your crazier plans and then follow you when you ignore me anyway. I promise to love you unconditionally, more than I have ever, or will ever love another living soul,” Alec said, unable to stop himself from leaning forward and pressing his lips to Magnus’ forehead.

 

Magnus let his eyes close momentarily, relishing the cool lips that pressed against his skin, knowing that he would never have to go without them ever again. It was more than he could have ever asked for.

 

Alec pulled back when Magnus did, looking down when Magnus let go of his waist to see their engagement rings, laying next to each other in Magnus’ palm. His stomach jumped with happiness when Magnus passed one to him. He took Magnus’ left hand in his own and slid Magnus’ ring home, happier than he could explain, knowing that Magnus would never take it off again.

 

Magnus’ heart was bursting when he slid Alec’s ring back onto his hand, his finger brushing over the band. His eyes glowed brightly when he looked up from their rings to see Alec watching him. The expression that he found there had his hand wrapping around the back of Alec’s neck to tug his head down the last couple of inches. 

 

“I promise to put you above all others, to be your faithful and loving husband, for as long as we both shall live,” Magnus whispered against Alec’s lips.

 

“I promise to show you the love and respect you deserve, to be your supportive, loving husband, for all eternity,” Alec said before catching Magnus’ lips in a kiss that would have stopped his heart.

 

Magnus pressed himself closer, as close as he could get, to deepen the kiss. His tongue flicked out, to lick across Alec’s plump bottom lip, oxygen becoming a thing of the past when he pushed into Alec’s mouth. There was no fight, no dominance, only the perfect synchronicity of two souls that were meant for each other. It made his heart soar and his knees weak. But that was nothing new when it came to Alec, it was just intensified by the ferocity of his joy.

 

“I love you, Magnus Lightwood-Bane,” Alec whispered when he pulled back to let Magnus breathe, pressing his forehead to Magnus’ when he was too far away.

 

“I love you more, Alexander Lightwood-Bane. More than you will ever know,” Magnus said breathlessly, his eyes falling closed when Alec’s fingers played in the spikes of his hair at the nape of his neck.

 

Alec smiled against Magnus’ lips when Magnus started swaying them, hoping that Magnus wouldn’t be expecting anything fancy. Maybe his new husband would give him a few lessons now that they actually had the time for him to learn.

 

Brushing his hand down Magnus’ arm, Alec tugged it from around his waist and slid his hand into Magnus’ to interlock their fingers, his other tightening its hold on Magnus’ shoulder. He propped his chin on his hand, letting his eyes close when Magnus’ temple pressed into his own.

 

Magnus started to turn them when a new song came on with just a thought,  _ How Long Will I Love You, _ by Ellie Goulding. “Forever,” he couldn’t help whispering as he guided Alec in a small circle, happy to just turn on the spot. He was more than impressed that Alec didn’t stand on his feet, making him wonder if Alec had been practising.

 

“Longer than that,” Alec said with a smile, listening to the words. He thought the song apt, it said everything he was feeling without him needing to speak, thinking that it might become his new favourite song. He let Magnus dictate their movements until the end of the song, happy just to be with his husband. Until a loud growl interrupted the cloud of happiness that had descended upon them.

 

“Are you hungry?” Alec asked with a small chuckle when he heard Magnus’ stomach roar. It wasn’t something that he had thought much about, eating. He had been too busy reacquainting himself with his husband. But Magnus needed to eat, even if he didn’t.

 

“A little, I’m fine for a while longer,” Magnus said. The truth was, he was starving but he thought it would be a bit insensitive of him to eat in front of Alec when Alec couldn’t enjoy a meal with him. “I can eat later,” he said.

 

“Uh huh,” Alec said, pulling back to look at Magnus. “And you were telling me that I didn’t have to be embarrassed about drinking in front of you,” he said, one eyebrow raised. “Get yourself something to eat,” he insisted. Maybe it would take them a while to get used to their new situation, to stop tiptoeing around each other but they had to start somewhere. Something as vital as a meal was a pretty good place to start.

 

The song had ended so Magnus set some soft classical music playing quietly in the background and set them a table up with a wave of his hand. It was still a tad too early for a large meal, so he conjured a single plate - filled with eggs benedict, and a glass of blood for Alec.

 

“I can drink out of something... less transparent if this will upset your appetite,” Alec said when Magnus kept hold of his hand and tugged him over to the table, seeing a martini glass filled with blood.

 

“Actually, it doesn’t bother me at all,” Magnus said with a shrug, dropping into his chair and falling on his brunch with gusto. He didn’t bat an eyelid when Alec sat down next to him and started sipping from his glass.

 

“What a wonderful start to the day, Alexander, married before breakfast. We should start every day like this,” Magnus said between bites, grinning around his fork when Alec snorted into his drink. He snapped his fingers and produced a heavily laced mimosa for himself and added a drop of champaign to Alec’s blood. It had only been a couple of days since Alec was turned so he knew that Alec’s new body wouldn’t be able to tolerate much more than that yet.

 

Alec leaned back in his chair, watching Magnus eat before it became too strange. The scent of Magnus’ food was nice but unappealing. It didn’t fill him with the need to ask for a plate of his own so he took in the rest of the room in instead, shrugging it off. That was when his eyes landed on the second throne. Magnus had stolen and kept his attention since he had walked into the room.

 

“Don’t you think that that’s just a bit too ostentatious?” Alec asked, nodding his head in the direction of the throne. He had never had big ambitions of being king, ruler over other men. Sure, he had enjoyed being a leader but the prospect of sitting on a throne wasn’t something that he had thought much about. He also knew that Magnus had never had the desire to take over a realm. But that was their lot now.

 

“No. I’m very much looking forward to seeing you sit in it,” Magnus said, unable to help the small shiver that ran up his spine. “Maybe we could christen that one too,” he suggested before popping another bite of food in his mouth. 

 

The thought of Magnus taking him apart on the throne had Alec wishing that Magnus would hurry up with his breakfast. After the first couple of hairy moments in which his stomach tried to rebel, his own spiked blood was going down quite smoothly, the warm blood sliding down his throat. He couldn’t deny that it tasted good, especially with the added kick. But he certainly wouldn’t mind testing the throne out with Magnus, just to make sure it was comfortable, of course.

 

“Besides, if we are going to rule this damned realm, you are going to sit by my side,” Magnus shrugged, pretending not to notice the visible shudder that had run down Alec’s spine at the mention of a replay of their antics from the night before. “Why don’t you give it a try?” he asked. He really did want to see Alec sitting in the chair.

 

Alec looked at Magnus, shaking his head when he saw the gleam in his husband’s glowing cat eyes. Knowing that he wouldn’t hear the end of it until he complied, he kept the eye-rolling to a minimum when he stood and crossed to the throne. Sitting in it, the eye-roll turned to an indulgent smile when Magnus watched his every move.

 

Magnus might have started breathing a little more heavily when Alec sat down on the throne, glass in hand, looking more handsome in his designer tuxedo than anyone had a right to. It was a powerful image. 

 

The confidence and power that Alec had exuded, as Head of the Institute, had always been a big turn on for Magnus but the desire for his husband was increased tenfold when he looked at Alec on that throne. In that black and gold knee-length frock coat. With that amused smirk on his pretty face. Alec looked every part the royal.  _ Hot! _ His brain screamed at him.

 

“It’s not as comfortable as your lap but it will do,” Alec said, a slow smirk building when he heard Magnus’ breath catch. It wasn’t all that comfortable but he had promised that he would stay by Magnus’ side. He could endure it if Magnus had to sit in the other one. “Although, I do miss the couch from the loft,” he said. He had fallen asleep on that couch plenty of times and he did miss the loft when he looked around the throne room.

 

“It isn’t exactly home, is it?” Magnus asked when he saw Alec’s eyes flick up to look out at the sky. The lack of roof was going to be a problem for privacy. They had been too desperate for each other to let it bother them the night before but anything could drop by, at any time.

 

“No, not really. Is the rest of the place like this? You know, with the no ceiling theme?” Alec asked, getting up from his throne when Magnus finished eating, to place his empty glass on the table. “You didn't exactly give me the grand tour last night,” he chuckled.

 

“I showed you where the bedroom was, what more do you need to know?” Magnus said with a wink, sitting back in his chair to look up at Alec. He didn’t complain when Alec pushed his chair back -with barely a straining muscle- and straddled his lap. “Maybe I could keep you chained to the bed to do with as I please. You wouldn’t even need to see the rest of the place,” he said, looking up into Alec’s eyes, his lips quirking up when Alec actually looked like he was considering it.

 

“I knew you only wanted me for my body. I suppose there are worse ways to spend eternity than as my King’s bedroom attendant,” Alec said, wrapping his arms around Magnus’ neck to let his fingers play in Magnus’ spiked hair, laughing hard when Magnus just blinked at him. They had just added an entirely new facet to roleplay nights. 

 

“God! Promise me you’ll still flirt with me when we are old and senile?” Magnus groaned as his fingers played up and down Alec’s thighs, unable to stop himself from pressing his lips to Alec’s throat in an open-mouthed kiss that showed Alec exactly how much he loved flirting with his husband.

 

“Only if you promise to leave your glamour off, those eyes are too beautiful to hide and it’s not like there are any mundane’s down here to see them,” Alec said when Magnus pulled back to look at him, cat eyes on full display. The request seemed to be testing Magnus’ self-control when his husband went back to kissing his neck. 

 

“Anyway, you’ve already gotten a head start on me in the old department but I think I can add your request to the list,” Alec grinned, tilting his head a little further. Magnus’ tongue on his neck was doing things to him.

 

“You are making it very hard for me not to spank you right now, Alexander,” Magnus murmured into Alec’s skin. “And less of the old! I am distinguished,” he said, his hands wandering back up Alec’s thighs to grip his ass.

 

“Extremely,” Alec said, smacking his lips to Magnus’ when his husband pulled back to glare at him. “Come on, give me the tour - unless you want to test out how comfortable this chair is? Or the floor?” he asked.

 

“And ruin Versace? I think not,” Magnus growled, glaring at the dusty floor. He hadn’t been able to get rid of it all. With a deep sigh and a frustrated twitch of his dick, he tapped Alec's ass to get him to stand, following when Alec tugged him up. There was that insanely hot strength again.  _ Dammit!  _

 

“Come along. There isn’t much to see, it's mostly rubble. It seems my father wasn’t big on home improvements,” Magnus sighed. Their need for each other would just have to wait.

 

“Clearly,” Alec said when Magnus pulled him through an arched door behind their thrones. The room that it led to was the same as the throne room, but with a large, rotting, dining table and more rubble, as were the three other rooms that Magnus led him to. A library, a room with a couch and more books, and a third with a load of broken furniture and dust. 

 

Each room was mainly foundations of what must once have been a small palace or large country estate. There were barely enough walls to actually designate them as rooms and the few arches dotted about hardly counted as ceilings.

 

“As I said, there isn’t much to look at,” Magnus said, leading Alec out of the third room and down a hallway, one that led to the bedrooms. There were five in all, at least, he assumed they were bedrooms. Only one of them had a bed, with a brand new mattress, and that was the one that they had… slept in.

 

“Maybe you could conjure some replica furniture of what you had at the loft, make it a bit cosier,” Alec said when they had made a circuit of the palace, headed back to the throne room.

 

“Or, I could summon the loft,” Magnus said, stopping in his tracks. It was something that he hadn’t even thought of but he could have his things, his own bed, his shower. 

 

“The actual loft? As in, the one from our realm?” Alec asked, his eyes going wide at the thought. Edom would be a lot easier to bear if they could live in the loft instead of this desolate palace.

 

“Hm, no. I couldn’t summon the actual loft, but I could conjure up something similar. I know every stick of furniture, every wall tile, and every item that is in that loft. I’ve lived there since the seventies, I could easily replicate it,” Magnus said excitedly, tugging Alec in the opposite direction of the throne room and out of the front door, into a large courtyard, surrounded by more rubble that might once have been an outer wall.

 

“All it would take is to get rid of these foundations and a few snaps of my fingers to replace them with a building that could house it. We will probably have to keep the throne room for appearances but most of the building is behind it,” Magnus shrugged, tugging Alec’s hand to get him to follow as he paced around the building, getting a feel for the dimensions of the place.

 

Alec watched when they reached the back of the derelict building, a little turned on when Magnus started using some major magic. Would there ever be a day when he wasn’t? He watched Magnus dismantle the stonework, room by room - until there were only the throne room and the large entrance hall that led to it, left in place.

 

Magnus gathered his power and used a complicated pattern of magic to weave all of the dismantled stone into three long walls, rebuilding the walls that would once have been there and making them whole again. He then started conjuring a roof. 

 

Alec dashed around the building, watching the walls form, marvelling at the power Magnus was exerting. It actually started looking like a decent home, especially when the vaulted roof went on. He skidded to a stop at Magnus’ side, grinning when Magnus finished with the outside and took his hand once more.

 

Magnus led Alec back around the building and through the front door. Letting his magic trail in their wake, he decorated the entrance hall with tapestries and Persian rugs, wrought iron sconces, filled with candles and a large, welcoming chandelier, filled with candles. It gave the place a warm feeling that he hadn’t been expecting.

 

Alec just stared in awe at what Magnus created, wandering after his husband. Magnus had already been powerful before coming to Edom but Magnus barely had to lift a finger to make them a home. 

 

“How did you actually manage to make this place homely?” Alec asked, following Magnus into the new and improved throne room, a smile lighting up his face when Magnus pushed their wedding arch back to stand over the thrones. He was glad that they were keeping it, knowing that he would remember their wedding every time he looked at it.

 

“It helps when there are four actual walls and a roof,” Magnus chuckled, glancing around. It looked much better. Jerking his head toward’s the doors behind their thrones, he threw them open and started building walls in the huge open space that was now there, conjuring furniture and nicknack's, bookcases filled with his favourite books, transforming the space into their loft.

 

Alec stood with his arms folded over his chest in the double doorway behind the thrones, staring as Magnus started decorating the space ahead of him, exactly how the loft had been decorated. He realised that the throne room doors actually opened up into the entrance hall of Magnus’ Brooklyn apartment, even the coat stand that appeared was in exactly the same place.

 

Alec turned and closed the doors behind him, speechless when his brain told him he was in Brooklyn. If that had left him speechless, he was dumbstruck when he opened the doors again and looked out into the throne room. The place was so similar to the loft that he had half expected to open the doors and peer out into the communal hallway of Magnus’ building.

 

Magnus worked his way through the loft, his heart skipping a beat when he conjured things like his favourite spell books, photographs of them and their friends, his walk-in closet, quickly filling it up with new versions of his clothes. They weren’t his actual possessions but they were close enough that Edom was starting to feel like home.

 

The feeling of home intensified for Magnus when Alec wandered into his closet. He lifted his arms and settled back into Alec’s chest when Alec’s arms came around his waist. “What do you think?” he asked.

 

“I think it’s perfect,” Alec said, propping his chin on Magnus’ shoulder to press a kiss to his neck. “You’ve worked wonders. I almost thought we were back there for a moment,” he said, his stomach lurching for a second. It wasn’t New York but it was home. And that thought had his stomach settling back into place.

 

“It is almost perfect,” Magnus said, turning his head to press a kiss to Alec’s cheek before patting his husband's hands. “Come with me,” he said, grinning when Alec raised an eyebrow in question.

 

Alec followed Magnus back out into their bedroom to see that a new doorway sat between his side of the bed - which he noted with a start was made up with his blue and white bedding - and the bathroom door. Poking his head through the door, he stared when he realised that he was in another closet, slowly filling up with replicas of his own clothes.

 

Alec wandered inside and lifted his rucksack when it appeared, taking out his few possessions and placing them on shelves.

 

“What’s this?” Magnus asked, taking a jar of what looked like mud from Alec. it wasn’t large but it was an odd thing for Alec to be carrying around with him. He hadn’t even noticed it when he had taken Alec’s blood supply from the bag earlier.

 

“My grave dirt,” Alec said, shrugging before taking the jar from Magnus and placing it on a high shelf, safe and out of the way. “Simon insisted I bring some with me, said it might come in handy,” he said, turning to find Magnus staring at the jar with a pensive look on his face. 

 

“Perhaps,” Magnus mused, looking around at the now filled closet. “What do you think?” he asked, gesturing with a wave as the last few shirts and sweaters folded themselves onto shelves and draped on hangars, like a scene from Fantasia.

 

“Even though you insisted that it was you who got their own walk in, I love it. Thank you,” Alec said, glad to have his own space with his own things.

 

“Well, I think it is only fair that you have your own closet too,” Magnus grinned before tugging Alec out of the closet and through their bedroom.

 

“Yeah, because you don’t want to share yours,” Alec chuckled. He was still happy that Magnus was providing him with a space of his own. It wasn’t the only space for him, he realised when he found another new door, in the wall next to Magnus’ workroom. Opening it up, his still heart almost started beating again when he saw that he was now the proud owner of one new training room, an exact replica of the one at the institute.

 

“Have I told you that I love you today?” Alec asked, almost groaning with happiness when the walls started filling up with displays of mundane weapons and runeless versions of Shadowhunter weapons. There was a whole wall just for bows, another for blades and swords, one that housed racks of hand to hand weapons and a huge rack of bow staffs.

 

“Yes, but I will always be happy to hear it again,” Magnus said when Alec broke through his concentration. His eyes lingered on the rack of bow staffs that he had conjured, a filthy grin splitting his face in two when Alec side-eyed him. “Maybe we could finish those self-defence lessons?” he asked.

 

“I seem to recall that you didn’t need me to teach you a thing,” Alec said, breathing hard from the memories. He might not need the air but it was nice to know that Magnus still affected him enough to have him dragging lungfuls of it in any way.

 

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that, Mr Lightwood-Bane. I seem to remember you showing me a few new moves in your bedroom afterwards,” Magnus said with a lewd wink.

 

“Maybe I could show you a few more?” Alec suggested, tugging on Magnus’ hand to pull him from the room. The hungry kiss that Magnus gave him when his husband slammed their lips together had a small moan building in the back of his throat, as did the hands that slid into his hair.

 

Magnus pressed himself against Alec’s body, his hips rocking forward when Alec’s hands slid around his waist to grab a handful of his ass. The hard length of Alec’s dick, pressing against his own had a moan of his own building in his throat.

 

“So what do you think of the place? Will it do?” Magnus asked, trailing his lips down Alec’s jaw as they made it out into the living room. He wasn’t exactly sure they were going to make it to their bedroom but the couch was close enough.

 

“I think it’s perfect,” Alec mumbled breathlessly, his eyes opening for a moment to see that pictures of his family now hung on the walls, a crossbow rested near the kitchen doorway, his favourite boots sat out in the hallway near the front doors when they passed it. Magnus was filling the place with more of his stuff, making the loft theirs.

 

Alec paused when a scuffle caught his attention, grabbing Magnus’ hands to stop their path down the front of his pants. His head whipped in the direction of the double doors when the noise sounded again.

 

“There’s someone in the throne room,” Alec said, looking back at Magnus to meet his gaze. 

 

“Shall we go and see who our new guest is?” Magnus asked, his now low reserves of magic sparking across his hands. He used the term “guest” loosely because whoever it was was about to be forcibly ejected from their home. He had enough magic left for that at least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A surprise visit from Ragnor at the beginning there. I know that the Writers didn't have the time or budget to bring Ragnor back but it is an absolute crime that we didn't get to see Ragnor dusting Magnus' shoulders off and give him a pep talk and I'll forever be bitter. Anywho, that's what fic is for.
> 
> Also, I didn't want to touch Malec's wedding because swooooon! Plus, their situation has changed now so I felt some new words were needed, especially the words about immortality and forever. Those are some long term promises they needed to make.


	8. Chapter 8

Alec darted to the kitchen doorway and picked up the crossbow that rested against the wall before following Magnus through the double doors that led to the throne room. It went against his better judgement to let Magnus go first but he used the time to load the crossbow with a bolt that Magnus handed him. Pulling the tight bowstring easily and setting it in place, he held it ready, his eyes narrowing when he saw who their “guest” was.

 

“Is this supposed to be a compromise, Magnus?” Lilith asked when Magnus entered the room behind her. “As flattered as I am that you would put another throne in here, I am afraid I don’t like to share. I won't be sharing my realm or the title of...” she cut off when Magnus wasn’t the only one to enter the room.

 

“Lilith. I suggest you move, you’re in my seat,” Alec said when he circled the thrones, glaring at the sight of Lilith, sitting in his throne as though she owned the place. Arching an eyebrow at her, he slid into the seat when she vacated it and trained his crossbow on the two men that Lilith had brought with her. He had a feeling he knew who one of them was.

 

“What are you doing here, Lilith?” Magnus asked in her direction as he sat down in his own throne. He wasn’t looking at her, he was staring at the two men that she had brought with her. Or more specifically, at one of the two men that she had brought with her. There was something wrong about him, something that would have had his hackles up if he’d had any.

 

Alec was also staring at the second man, his nostrils flaring. The second man looked a lot like the first -who he took to be Cain- but with longer, straggly hair, sallow looking skin and a vacant expression in his dead eyes. The guy was thin to the point of gauntness and he smelled like death. The guy’s scent had his fangs snapping out, a low growl building in the back of his throat. 

 

“It's Alex, isn't it?” Lilith asked, staring at the guy who had sat down next to Magnus. The shock of seeing him there was quickly fading to be replaced by a mixture of anger and caution. She was positive the last time she had seen him -briefly, in Magnus’ apartment- he had been a Shadowhunter. It looked like things had changed.

 

“Actually, it is King Alexander Lightwood-Bane of Edom,” Magnus said, sliding his hand into Alec’s where it rested on the armrest of his throne, staring her down. “You should bow before your King. Either that or get out. I don't particularly care which,” he said, raising an eyebrow at her when Lilith practically choked on thin air.

 

“King? I don't think so. You seem to forget that this is my realm, Magnus,” Lilith growled, staring incredulously at Magnus, her eyes flicking to Alec when he gave her a pointed look.

 

“Magnus? I don’t recall him giving you leave to use such formalities. That’s King Magnus Lightwood-Bane of Edom to you,” Alec said. The title, “ _ King Alexander”, _ sounded ridiculous to him. But there was no way that he wasn’t showing Lilith a united front with his husband.

 

“I would let Edom freeze over before I call him King,” Lilith spluttered, unbelieving of their sheer audacity. “This is my realm! I bow to no man…”

 

“Correction, this was your realm. You lost your title as Queen the day my father took it from you, with my magic,” Magnus interjected, letting flames of red magic coalesce in his free hand, the magic licking up his arm. “I took his place as ruler of Edom when I banished him to Limbo. Now get out, before my father finds himself with some company,” he said.

 

“Don’t even think about it,” Alec said, his voice low and harsh when Lilith started moving in Magnus’ direction. The furious expression on her face had him raising his crossbow and baring his fangs at her with a hiss.

 

“Cain, do something about the Vampire,” Lilith shrieked as she skittered back, smarting that she still wasn’t at full power. All it would have taken was a flick of her wrist to see Alec off - if she had enough power.  

 

Lilith turned when Cain didn’t rush to defend her, seething with fury when she saw the willful expression on his face. “I said, do something about the Vampire,” she said.

 

“I cannot harm him when he has done nothing to me,” Cain said, his eyes flicking to the two men on the thrones, unable to keep the misery out of his voice. “Please, don’t,” he begged when Lilith raised her hand, already knowing what she was going to do.

 

“If you aren’t willing to defend me then maybe your brother will,” Lilith said, ignoring Cain’s plea and raising her hand. “Abel, do something about the Vampire,” She said, directing the magical hold that she had over Abel like a puppeteer, controlling a marionette. 

 

“Abel, no!” Cain yelled, grabbing his brother when he started forward with jerky movements. He pulled, hard, but the vile grip that Lilith had on his brother was too strong.

 

“Lilith, what have you done?” Magnus asked, appalled when he saw the Man’s jerky movements. Waving his hand, he froze the man on the spot, squeezing Alec’s hand when Alec looked at him. “Necromancy, she has raised him from the dead to do her bidding,” he said. A sheen of sweat broke out over his skin when Lilith tried to take hold of Abel once more.

 

Magnus snapped his fingers, the bolt that was set in Alec’s crossbow lighting up with green flames. “If he breaks free, shoot him in the heart,” he said, his eyes flicking to Cain momentarily when Cain let out an anguished cry. 

 

The battle of wills that Magnus was fighting against Lilith grew harder, forcing him to draw energy quickly from the magic that suffused the realm.

 

“You can’t keep him around like this Cain, it isn’t right. You have to let him go,” Magnus said, tightening his hold on Alec’s hand when Lilith ramped her magical hold up once more. He couldn’t draw energy from the atmosphere fast enough so he started drawing energy from Alec, a vast store of it now that Alec was a Vampire. “That is a pale imitation of life at best. Look at what she has done to him. Is this what he would want?” he asked Cain from between gritted teeth.

 

“He is my brother! I can’t let him go,” Cain cried, trying to pull Abel back. If he had been human, he would have felt sick to his stomach with the jerky movements his brother was making. Lilith's hold over Abel was absolute.

 

“You have to let him go _ because _ he is your brother. Do it for him, set him free,” Magnus said, the strain of fighting Lilith’s hold on Abel showing in his voice. Even with the extra strength that Edom gave him, and the energy that he borrowed from Alec, it was taking some serious effort to hold Abel back.

 

“I’m sorry, Cain, I have no choice,” Alec said to the struggling Vampire when Magnus’ hold on Abel snapped. The energy that Magnus had borrowed from him made him feel strangely weak, leaving him unsure of whether he would be able to even fight Abel off. He felt awful when he saw the pain in Cain’s eyes but pulled the trigger anyway when Abel shot forward. Abel was fast, for a dead man.

 

Magnus gathered his strength and aimed a large red fireball at Lilith when Alec’s bolt pierced Abel’s heart, blasting her off her feet, backwards through the arched doorway, Lilith’s hold over the dead man failing from the bolt and the magic attached to it.

 

Cain watched as his brother was taken from him again, Abel erupting in a conflagration of green flames. He lost the strength in his legs, sinking to the ground as Magnus’ magic swept Lilith’s cursed hold away, leaving a pile of ash where Abel had been stood. He knew that it had to happen but that didn’t make it any less painful. Just for a short time, he’d had Abel back.

 

Lilith dragged herself up from the floor of the new entrance hall, growling at the pain that coursed through her. Her lack of strength only fueled the growl, fury raging through her. It felt as though Magnus’ blow had just put her recovery back even further. Stumbling through the throne room doorway, her gaze narrowed on Alec and Magnus when they stood simultaneously.

 

“You cannot just take my realm! It doesn’t work like that,” Lilith growled, twitching when an aftershock of Magnus’ magic ran through her. She did her best not to visibly flinch when Magnus snapped his fingers again and lit the dratted Vampire’s crossbow up once more.

 

“You are no longer the ruler of this realm, Lilith. You lost all of your rights to it. Now get out of our house,” Magnus said, forcing his voice not to show how weak he felt. He drew more strength from Alec where they still held hands and from the atmosphere itself in case she didn’t take the hint that she wasn’t welcome there.

 

Alec raised his glowing crossbow -Magnus’ red magic lighting it up- when Lilith stumbled forwards with movements that were just as jerky as Abel’s had been. Keeping it trained on her, he took a step forward when she grabbed hold of Cain’s collar and dragged him up from the floor.

 

Cain followed when Lilith pulled him up off of the floor, unable to look at anything but the pile of ash that used to be his brother. The will to fight her had been sapped with Abel’s second passing so he followed when she dragged him from the room, shaking his head at the other Vampire. This was what he deserved for trying to defy the laws of nature.

 

“Magnus, we have to… he can’t… what was that?” Alec asked, angling himself towards Magnus when he flopped into his throne. The energy that he had felt flowing through him, ever since he had crawled out of the ground, was vastly depleted. It felt like it had been sucked from him. It was odd, his body still felt strong but he also felt lethargic at the same time.

 

“I’m sorry that I had to do that, Alexander. I had no choice,” Magnus said, sitting back down when he felt his strength flag. “My demon blood connects me to this realm and allows me to draw power from the very atmosphere itself but I couldn’t draw it fast enough, I needed a boost from you,” he said, tightening his grip on Alec’s hand, sending a little bit of strength back into him.

 

“Hey, you don’t have to apologise, what’s mine is yours. I promise to share my strength with you whenever you need it,” Alec said, letting his thumb sweep over the back of Magnus’ hand when he saw the guilty expression there. He had a feeling they would continue making their vows to each other over the years, something that he was more than happy to do. “What happened though, I thought you were like, all-powerful here?” he asked.

 

“Alexander, nobody is all powerful,” Magnus chuckled, his heart swelling for the faith that Alec had in him. Snapping the fingers of his free hand, he handed Alec a large glass of blood, knowing that Alec would need it as much as he needed the large martini that he conjured for himself.

 

“While I am a lot more powerful in Edom than anywhere else, that was not natural magic. I had to take extra strength from you because it was not something that I could fight alone,” Magnus said, gulping his drink down when Alec started drinking his.

 

“What was it?” Alec asked between glugs, thinking of the way the man, Abel, had moved and the way he seemed to be under Lilith’s control. The man had looked like a walking corpse, no cognizant thought or emotion on the guy’s face. It was creepy.

 

“Necromancy. It is un-natural magic. It isn’t governed by the laws of natural magic, I was, therefore, unable to control it,” Magnus said with a shudder. “Only someone who has given themselves over to dark magic can. All I could do was keep it at bay and even that was a struggle. It is a powerful magic that most Warlocks don’t mess with,” he said, shaking his head at Lilith’s total lack of moral compass.

 

“It was like the guy wasn’t alive - like he was a puppet with no control over himself,” Alec said, sipping the second glass that Magnus conjured him a little more slowly than the first. He wondered if he would ever rid himself of the image of Cain and the pain that he had seen in the guy's eyes.

 

“A body that has been raised from the dead is not alive. Abel was merely a shell for Lilith’s whims. There was no thought or reason, just a reanimated sack of flesh and bone,” Magnus said, shaking his head. “I feel awful for Cain, he must have been desperate to keep Abel around like that.”

 

“When Jace and Izzy reported to me about their summoning of Lilith, they told me about Lilith taking Cain. Simon heard her promise to bring his brother back if he came here with her,” Alec said, releasing Magnus’ hand to scrub his hand over his face. It was a shit show. “I have to get him away from her, Magnus. It was their fault that he is here in the first place. If they’d just left him in the sewers, he wouldn’t have to go through this.”

 

“First of all,  _ we  _ have to get him away from her. We are a team, remember,” Magnus said, raising his hand to cup Alec’s cheek. Even in Edom, his Vampire was cleaning up his siblings' messes. Then again, Alec wouldn’t be the man he fell in love with if he didn’t try and take everything onto himself.

 

“You’re right,” Alec agreed, leaning into Magnus’ touch. He didn’t particularly like the thought of Magnus confronting Lilith but he wasn’t a caveman, he wasn’t going to club Magnus around the head and go off on his own. The words his father had spoken to him rang in his ears. They were stronger together, they would need each other if they were to defeat Lilith and rescue Cain.

  
  


“We do have a problem though,” Magnus said, letting out a deep sigh when Alec raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him. “The strength that Lilith would have needed for this kind of spell is different than what she would need to take me on. It is different magic altogether. While she can’t fight against my magic with her own, this would have been nothing for her. It would also be simple enough for her to create an entire army of walking dead.”

 

Alec's head whipped around then, the drink in his hand, forgotten, with Magnus words, and Clary's ringing in his ears. 

 

“Clary and Jace told me that Lilith was gathering an army against you. They had it from a demon source. This must be what he meant,” Alec said, his face draining of blood. “Magnus, if she has an army of those things…” he didn’t need to finish the sentence to convey just how much shit they were in. 

 

“We will just have to take her down before she can gather too much strength,” Magnus said, thinking about how long he had been there and how much strength she could have gained in that amount of time. “We have one thing on our side. She would need time to build up an army, it isn’t something that she could just create overnight,” he said.

 

“What are we waiting for then?” Alec asked, ready to go and kick her ass. The quicker they got rid of her, the better in his opinion.

 

“Our strength to return for a start,” Magnus said, tugging Alec back into his chair when his husband stood up. A Vampire, Alec might be, but that Nephilim impatience was still in there. As was the Lightwood stubbornness, he surmised when Alec let out an irritated growl, which wasn’t sexy. At all. “We are not going up against her until we are at full strength. I won’t risk you like that, not when I’ve just gotten you back.”

 

“Fair point,” Alec agreed. It still rankled to know that she was gathering strength against them but he wouldn’t risk Magnus either, so they would have to wait. “What?” he asked when he saw Magnus looking at him, an appraising gleam in his husband’s eyes.

 

“I’m wondering if I will get my ass blown off if I direct my magic at you,” Magnus said, the corners of his mouth tugging up. The adorable, confused expression on Alec’s face had him leaning forward to press a chaste kiss against Alec’s plump lips before elaborating. “We need to train, work on how to fight together and share our abilities.”

 

“You want us to train together?” Alec asked, his voice low and gravelly, thinking about the last time that they had “trained” together. The thought of blowing Magnus’ ass off, however, stopped his dick from hardening in his pants. “No, absolutely not. I won’t risk it,” he said, shaking his head vehemently.

 

“Alec, we need to work together. I lit your crossbow bolt before, which makes me think that we can work something out,” Magnus said, rolling his eyes at Alec. He hadn’t even thought it through earlier, simply following through with the action without a second thought but it could have easily gone pear shaped if Alec’s mark had reacted to it. “We will come up with something. In the meantime, I would like to finish this place off,” he said, gesturing around.

 

“Fine, but if I blow your ass off, I’ll find a way to bring you back so I can throttle you,” Alec huffed, his still heart giving a little wobble at the thought of his mark harming Magnus in any way. It had him reaching out, tugging at Magnus until his husband was situated safely in his lap.

 

“Don’t make promises you don’t intend to keep,” Magnus grinned, happily winding his arms around Alec’s neck with an eyebrow wiggle. “And you can blow my ass off anytime,” he chuckled, nosing Alec’s face up for a kiss.

 

“It’s not funny,” Alec mumbled against Magnus’ lips before claiming them.  _ A hot and heavy makeout session would be more than welcome, _ he thought as he licked at Magnus’ lower lip to gain entrance.

 

Magnus slid his tongue into Alec’s mouth before Alec could deepen the kiss, smirking through it when Alec pulled in a few deep breaths. It made his stomach coil, knowing that something as simple as a kiss could still affect Alec like that. Not that he was any less affected.

 

Alec pouted against thin air when Magnus pulled back and took hold of his hand, where it had been sliding over Magnus’ thigh. Unable to stop the corners of his mouth from tugging up when he saw how hard Magnus was breathing, he let his fingers dance up the inside of Magnus’ thigh, going for the sensitive spot that never failed to leave Magnus panting for more.

 

“Behave, we need to finish this place,” Magnus scolded Alec, not nearly as sternly as he was trying to. He had to climb off Alec’s lap before they got carried away, as they were wont to do. 

 

“Will you be able to? Don’t you need to conserve your magic?” Alec asked, lounging on his throne to watch Magnus shrug his wedding jacket off. The black satin vest underneath, edged with the same blue pattern as Magnus’ jacket, looked hot. And also like it needed to be sitting on their bedroom floor, along with the rest of Magnus’ clothes.

 

“I have enough to spare for this,” Magnus said, laying his jacket over the back of his throne to roll his sleeves up. He didn’t miss the way Alec’s eyes lit up when he exposed his forearms. “Come on,” he said, jerking his head with a roll of his eyes.

 

Alec followed, eyeing Magnus’ exposed forearms as he went. The sway of Magnus’ ass as he walked out into the entrance hall was entirely unfair. The man was a walking sin, it was no wonder they got carried away. Pulling his mind out of the gutter, he followed Magnus dutifully through the new massive, arched oak front door that Magnus conjured.

 

“My father never was a fan of doors. I, however, like my privacy,” Magnus muttered, finishing the door with a large brass knocker. Starting with the door, he raised his hands and started casting patterns into the wood, building up layers of wards to protect their new home.

 

Alec followed Magnus around the building, watching Magnus build protections into the stone and wood that made the place up. It startled him when he realised that he recognised each ward that Magnus put in place; protection, an alarm to warn against invasion, a ward against foreign magic, one to alert them as to who any unwanted visitors might be. 

 

Alec had watched Magnus put the wards on the Institute enough times to recognise each one. The final ward that Magnus placed had him raising his eyebrows though, one that he only half recognised. He opened his mouth to ask but Magnus beat him to it.

 

“The final one was a ward of recognition for our new names,” Magnus said when he saw the confusion on Alec’s face. “Whenever I placed the wards on the institute, the wards of recognition were specific to each Shadowhunter that resided there, yes?” he asked.

 

“That’s why you always asked for a list of whoever lived at the Institute and had readjusted the wards whenever somebody new came to stay?” Alec asked. He knew that the ward was for recognition but had never seen that specific pattern before.

 

“Yes. Whenever I created your recognition ward, I only ever had to create it for the name Lightwood. This new ward is the combination of our names, Lightwood-Bane. It will recognise either of us whenever we enter the building and let us through without alarm,” Magnus said, smiling when Alec’s face lit up.

 

Alec liked the sound of their home recognising them as one and memorised their ward pattern, his stomach giving a little jolt of happiness. They might be in Edom but they had a home that was theirs, something that he had wanted for a long time. 

 

“Two more things and our home is complete,” Magnus said, leaning into it when Alec pressed a kiss to his cheek. Raising his hands, he drew a thick thread of power from the magic that flowed through Edom and linked it to the breakers in the loft, putting the flow of power into a loop and linking it back to the realms power source, his hands tingling through the complicated pattern that they weaved.

 

“What are you doing?” Alec asked quietly, not wanting to break Magnus’ concentration. The movements of Magnus’ hands, whenever his husband performed more complex magic, always fascinated him. The way Magnus sometimes put his whole body into it was hot and Magnus’ facial expressions were always irresistibly cute. Was it his fault if he was always so hot for Magnus whenever his Warlock used magic? 

 

“Drawing power from the realm,” Magnus said, tapping into the power once more. “It’s kind of like the lay lines back in our realm. There is magic that crisscrosses the realm like a grid. Threads of power can be drawn from it and manipulated. I can draw strength from the power source, thinner or thicker strands of it to aid me, because of my father’s and my connection to this realm.

 

“We now have power. There is no natural electricity in this realm but we can use the realm’s natural magic to power our home in the same manner. Like one big magical generator,” Magnus said, leaning into Alec when tiredness flooded him momentarily. “I've linked it back in a loop, this way, I won’t have to keep snapping my fingers every time we want to use the lights or run the washing machine,” he said.

 

Alec just stared at Magnus, marvelling at the power his husband threw around like it was nothing. As much as he hadn’t understood Magnus’ need for magic when Magnus had had none, he gained a flash of insight now. Magnus had magic thrumming in his veins, used it for all of the small things that he admittedly took for granted, as well as the large. It was also a massive turn on to see Magnus revel in that raw power.

 

“Which reminds me, the last thing we need to think about is water,” Magnus said, thinking desperately of a warm bubble bath, maybe sharing one with Alec. The magical washes that he had been giving himself, and Alec since he had arrived, were nowhere near the luxury of sinking into a hot bath. Being able to just jump in the shower was something that he had sorely missed. “I’m not sure about constantly conjuring water though,” he mused.

 

“There is water in the ground,” Alec said, shrugging when Magnus looked up at him, his husband straightening up with an intrigued expression on his pretty face. “I can smell it. It’s deep and doesn’t smell all that fresh but it's there,” he said, taking in a deep breath. He could scent it far below the surface.

 

Magnus gave Alec’s face a little pat before diving deep for his magic again. It was depleting far faster than he liked to admit but the thought of a hot bath spurred him on. Sending it down into the ground, he had to go deep for the flow of water that Alec had mentioned but he found it eventually. 

 

Creating pipes with a thought, Magnus directed the flow of it to the house, silently thanking Alec’s sense of smell. It would certainly make bathroom visits a lot easier. Alec didn’t need to know about the archaic ‘hole in the ground’ system that seemed to be the rage in Edom.

 

Magnus leaned on Alec when the new indoor plumbing system was completed, water filters and all. The insane use of magic had taken its toll and he was tired, mentally more than physically. Like he was running on empty. “Dinner and a hot bath please,” he mumbled when Alec’s arms came around him. 

 

Alec tightened his hold on Magnus with a grin, inwardly melting at how cute Magnus sounded when he was tired. Reaching down with his free arm he swept Magnus’ legs from under him and carried him bridal style around the house.

 

“A man could get used to this kind of treatment,” Magnus muttered, breathing hard when Alec once more demonstrated his new strength. “But I can walk, love,” he said, even as he wound his arms around Alec’s neck. It wasn’t like he was swooning or anything.

 

“What’s the point of having superior strength if I don’t use it to carry my husband over the threshold of our new home?” Alec asked, chuckling when Magnus’ face lit up. Thinking about all of the times when he’d thought he would never be able to say those words, all the times as a child when he was faced with the grim prospect of one day carrying his wife over the threshold, he ducked through the front door and walked through the hall and throne room.

 

“You made me so happy today,” Alec said, pressing a kiss to Magnus’ lips when Magnus tilted his head back. “Promise me you’ll let me make you as happy, every single day of our lives, as you make me?” he asked when he pulled back.

 

“Done! You already made me happier than I’ve ever been, the moment you became my husband,” Magnus said, grinning against Alec’s lips as Alec carried him through the double doors of the loft and into the kitchen. The thought of them continuing to make vows to each other made his heart beat double time. This one was as easy as breathing for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fuck you, Lilith.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the wedding night! 💃💃💃🔥🔥🔥
> 
> check the AN for warnings, which are also spoilers but I felt I should put a warning in any way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, this chapter contains blood sharing.

Alec sat Magnus down on the kitchen island and went on the hunt. Opening the fridge, he found that it was well stocked, and working. It seemed Magnus’ magical power loop had worked. Grabbing a few ingredients, he closed the door with a bump of his hip and pulled a few pans from the cupboard that they were kept in.

 

“It’s like we never left New York,” Alec said, finding everything he needed to make Magnus’ dinner, exactly where he expected it to be.

 

“If we are going to live in the loft, we might as well have everything that makes this place home,” Magnus said, watching Alec set a pan of new potatoes to boil on the hob, thankful that he had an electric hob instead of gas burners. He wasn’t quite sure how volatile gas would be here but the hob worked just fine.

 

Alec nodded his agreement, preparing Magnus a dinner of steak, potatoes and asparagus. Snagging the glass of blood that Magnus conjured him, he sipped it appreciatively, leaving Magnus to the glass of red wine that his husband was sipping. 

 

The scent of the steak wafted up when Alec set it into the hot pan, making him miss food. It didn’t smell appealing in the slightest but he had loved food, not only eating it but the social aspect of sharing a meal.

 

“You know, some Vampires train their body to accept food and drink that isn’t blood?” Magnus asked, seeing the longing on Alec’s face as the steak sizzled in front of them. He knew the feeling, it smelled divine.

 

“What’s the point though? It isn’t like my body would gain any nutrition from it. And alcohol wouldn’t really get me drunk,” Alec said, turning Magnus’ steak over when he saw the perfect griddle marks on the bottom of it.

 

“It’s more about socialising, about looking normal and fitting in,” Magnus said absentmindedly, sliding down off of the counter top to grab a couple of plates and some cutlery. It took his brain a moment to catch up to what he was doing, looking down at the two plates in his hands when he pulled them from the cupboard before he put one back.

 

“It’s not like there are many people around here for me to fit in with anymore,” Alec said, staring down into the pan. It wasn’t like Magnus had meant anything bad by the comment but he couldn’t help thinking that he wasn’t normal anymore, either. Turning, and coming to Edom weren’t things that he regretted but his entire life and everything he knew about it had changed and he was still getting used to what those changes meant.

 

“We will explore this together, love,” Magnus said, setting his plate and fork down on the side and wrapping his husband up from behind. The slump of Alec’s shoulders was something that he didn’t like the look of one bit. “It’s going to take time, to get used to who you are now. But you will.”

 

“You sound like you know what you’re talking about,” Alec said, leaning back against Magnus’ chest when Magnus’ lips sought his cheek out, tilting his head to the side to let Magnus kiss him. 

 

“I do,” Magnus said with a tight smile, his arms tightening their hold on Alec’s waist a little. He rested his chin on Alec’s shoulder to watch his steak finish cooking, elaborating when Alec bent his head to look at him. “I wasn’t born with my magic or my Warlock mark, remember?” he asked.

 

Alec nodded, understanding dawning as he thought back to the many conversations that they’d had about Magnus’ early childhood. Magnus hadn’t discovered his powers until he had been around six or seven. It hadn’t been until Magnus’ cat eyes had manifested that Magnus or his parents had even known that he was different.

 

“How did you deal with it? Just being different one day?” Alec asked, removing the pan and sliding the steak onto Magnus’ magically warmed plate, letting it rest while he waited for the potatoes and asparagus to finish cooking.

 

“I didn’t, not at first,” Magnus said, shaking his head at himself, his stomach tightening for the early days of magic and monsters. 

 

Releasing Alec when his husband started putting his plate together, Magnus snagged a piece of asparagus and chewed it thoughtfully. “I lashed out more often than not. It was too confusing. I was suddenly alone and to just have all of this wild power flowing through me but not knowing how to control it was hard.”

 

“But you did in the end. Learn to control it I mean,” Alec said, handing Magnus his plate and snagging their glasses to follow Magnus into the living room. He sat at the table with Magnus, watching him start digging into the food with gusto. 

 

“My father was the one who showed me how,” Magnus said between bites of his excellent, home-cooked steak. It was so much more delicious than the crap he had been conjuring for himself. “He did have his uses in the beginning, no matter how things turned out between us in the end,” he said with a tight smile.

 

“It’s okay to miss him, you know,” Alec said, sipping his own dinner, his eyebrow rising when Magnus poured a little red wine into his glass of blood. His stomach almost revolted when he tried the spiked drink. A grimace strained his face but his body settled into it after a moment. “I know he was an asshole and I’ll probably never forgive him for that deal but he was still your dad,” he said.

 

“I don’t miss him. He burnt one too many bridges between us with that stunt,” Magnus said thoughtfully. “I think I do miss the possibilities though. I miss what we could have had if he hadn’t had such a warped idea of love,” he shrugged. They could have had a proper relationship if Asmodeus had been anyone other than who he was and that was what rankled.

 

“He was a fool,” Alec said, shaking his head at Asmodeus’ folly, thinking of the relationship that Magnus had missed out on while Magnus finished his dinner. That Asmodeus would throw Magnus away because power was more important to him than Magnus was, was beyond his comprehension.

 

“Truer words have never been spoken, Alexander,” Magnus said, putting his knife and fork down and tipping his drink in Alec’s direction. He sipped his wine, thoughts of his childhood running through his head. “Do you think it’s strange, to miss something that you never had?” he asked absentmindedly.

 

“Not at all. I missed you before I knew you existed,” Alec said, smiling when Magnus’ eyes snapped up to meet his gaze. Leaning forward, he tugged Magnus’ thumb away from his bottom lip and pressed a kiss there instead.

 

“Where are you going?” Magnus asked when Alec stood up, drawing in a deep, shaky breath. Alec was far too sweet for his own good sometimes.  _ Who needs lungs anyway? _

 

“To draw us a bath,” Alec said over his shoulder, smirking when he saw the gleam in Magnus’ eyes. 

 

Alec had to keep reminding himself that they were in Edom when he walked through their bedroom to the bathroom and started filling the large tub with hot water and Magnus’ sandalwood scented bubble bath. Everything was in its place. All he had to do was open the cabinet, and there the bottle was, look to the vanity to find their razors and toothbrushes, look in the closet to find a couple of fluffy gray towels.

 

“How long do you think it will take to get used to stepping out into the throne room when we walk out of the front door?” Alec called out, dipping his hand into the hot water and swirling it around. A smile spread across his face when he heard Magnus approaching the bathroom. He stripped off faster than he had ever done so in his life!

 

“It depends on how many unwanted guests we receive,” Magnus said, entering the bathroom to find Alec already naked, sitting in the tub. It was a sight he very much approved of! “Although, that would be nothing new. I know that he was your parabatai, but is it bad that I won’t miss Jace bursting in every five minutes?” he asked, stripping his own clothes off.

 

“No. I feel a bit like my right arm has been cut off, I’m so used to him being there. But there are advantages to having an unopenable rift between us,” Alec said, sitting up straight when Magnus started peeling his clothes off. It was a shame to see Magnus taking his wedding clothes off but he couldn’t say that he was complaining.

 

“True,” Magnus said, his movements exaggeratedly slow. It seemed his husband was enjoying the show of him stripping off very much. “Is that a little bit of drool I see there, Mr Lightwood-Bane?” he teased.

 

“For you? Always,” Alec said, not giving one single fuck, his husband was hot! He felt like he didn’t have enough eyeballs in his head to look at everything Magnus was displaying with each garment that Magnus took off, leaning on the side of the bath to watch.

 

Magnus paused when he took the waistband of his boxer briefs in hand, tugging the material at his hips down a couple of millimetres, biting into his bottom lip when Alec’s beautiful hazel eyes caught on the action.

 

“Leave them on,” Alec said, beckoning Magnus forward with a curl of his finger. The bulge in Magnus’ boxers was just begging for his lips. The height of the bath was almost perfect. Coming up on his knees, leaning against the side of the tub, he looked up into Magnus’ eyes before reaching out and tugging Magnus the last couple of inches by the waistband of his black boxers.

 

Alec took a deep breath when Magnus’ dick, now tenting the material, was right there in front of him. The musky/sandalwood/Magnus scent was divine. A smirk played over his lips when he ran his nose up the length of Magnus’ dick, the material soft against his nose, Magnus’ breathing turning shallow.

 

“Are you sniffing me?” Magnus asked breathlessly, his fingers threading into Alec’s soft dark hair. The small nod of Alec’s head under his hand would have set off a chuckle - if he wasn’t straining for breath at the thought of it.

 

“You smell delicious,” Alec murmured, letting his tongue dart out when he reached the tip of Magnus’ dick. The damp patch from Magnus’ leaking dick would have barely been noticeable in the dark material to anyone who didn’t have his eyesight. But it was tantalizing enough for him to want a taste. Flicking his tongue across the damp material, a small, gravelly moan built in the back of his throat as the taste of Magnus exploded on his tongue. Everything was enhanced with his new senses, something he greatly appreciated.

 

“And you taste divine,” Alec said, his long fingers wrapping around the back’s of Magnus’ thighs to hold him in place. The grip in his hair tightened, only drawing out the next moan. The sound rang out in the otherwise silent bathroom to mix with Magnus soft, breathless gasps’. His eyes flicked up as he mouthed at Magnus’ cock, the material becoming wetter by the second, to see Magnus’ head tip back.

 

Magnus could barely hold his head up, the wet tongue and hot breath that Alec was blowing into the material stealing his focus. And the will to even stand up straight. It took everything that he had not to buck his hips forward when Alec’s mouth starting moving up and down his impossibly hard length. 

 

Alec soaked Magnus boxers thoroughly before taking the material in his hands. As much as he liked to tease, he liked to take Magnus’ length into his mouth more. Knowing that Magnus had enough pairs of boxers to open his own store, he ripped the material right off of Magnus’ body, grinning when Magnus’ hips jolted forward, a husky moan ringing out. 

 

Magnus had to grip Alec's head with both hands, his knees going absolutely weak from Alec’s move, tearing through his boxers like they were made of paper.  _ When did the destruction of my clothes become so hot? _ He wondered, his eyelids fluttering slightly when Alec’s tongue flattened against the underside of his dick.

 

Managing to force his eyes open, Magnus met Alec’s gaze when his husband licked up to the tip of his dick. His breath caught when Alec’s tongue swirled around the head of his cock before Alec opened his mouth. 

 

Alec thanked the angel that he didn’t need to breathe anymore, and was pretty sure that Magnus was doing the same when Magnus pushed into his mouth. Giving a blow job now was even more pleasurable than it had been before he had turned. 

 

Holding his head still, Alec pulled Magnus closer, directing the pace of Magnus’ hips and letting Magnus fuck his mouth at the same time with deeper and deeper thrusts. He kept his eyes open as he sucked, watching Magnus’ pleasure play across his beautiful face, ridiculously happy that he could bring his husband such pleasure with nothing more than his mouth.

 

There was something about using a person’s mouth as a fuck hole that always made Magnus lose his composure. It took everything that he had to keep his movements steady but he managed, slowly thrusting into Alec’s mouth with a herculean display of self-control when all he wanted to do was slam his hips forward.

 

Alec took Magnus in deeper, his grip on the back of Magnus’ thighs tightening to pull Magnus closer until his husband sat in the back of his throat. Humming from the taste and the reassuring weight of Magnus’ dick on his tongue, he hollowed his cheeks when Magnus withdrew, sucking Magnus’ dick harder. 

 

Magnus had to pull in shallow breaths, the pleasure of Alec’s mouth consuming him. Every thrust pushed him deeper into Alec’s throat, Alec’s nose nestling into the patch of short, trimmed hairs at the base of his dick. Dropping his hand, he held Alec’s jaw, caressing the lightly stubbled skin with his thumb, enjoying the scrape of that stubble on his sac.

 

When Alec had been a Shadowhunter, nothing had filled him with more pride than his deep throating skills but they were nothing compared to what he could do now. Without the need to breathe, and his previously discovered lack of gag reflex, Magnus was easily able to fuck his throat. And he couldn’t say that he didn’t enjoy every second of it. Tapping the back of Magnus’ thigh, he moaned when Magnus’ thrusts became faster, harder. It was something that Magnus loved as much as he did.

 

Magnus lost the small amount of control that he’d had over himself when Alec gave him carte blanche over his movements. Honestly, it had been a losing battle since the first whisper of Alec’s breath on his skin. Unable to help himself, he bucked into Alec’s mouth, his moans echoing through the bathroom every time his cock head scraped down the back of Alec’s throat.

 

Magnus almost stumbled forward, only just managing to catch himself by grabbing Alec’s shoulders when Alec abruptly pulled back. Looking down, his heart thudding in his chest and his balls tingling, he saw the reason why Alec had withdrawn. The sight of Alec’s fangs only turned him on more, possibilities running through his head.

 

“Sorry, I almost… I…” Alec mumbled as he steadied Magnus, staring up at his husband, his stomach clenching. They had snapped out against his will, almost nicking Magnus’ dick. A wave of guilt flashed through him when his already impossibly hard cock started throbbing at the thought of it. While he never wanted to harm Magnus, he couldn’t deny that the thought of having just the tiniest taste turned him on immeasurably.

 

“Do you want to stop?” Magnus asked breathlessly, seeing the conflict on Alec’s face. The deep gravel of Alec’s voice and the fact that he had lost control over his fangs told him that Alec had been enjoying it but the guilt on Alec’s face had him pausing.

 

“No… yes… no,” Alec said, desperately wanting to continue but not knowing what to do with himself. “I want you to fuck me,” he said, too turned on to stop now, that had been what he had wanted from the start. It was taking everything he had not to start jerking his dick.

 

Magnus nodded, his thumb sweeping up Alec’s cheek before he let go and climbed into the hot bubbly water. Tugging until Alec faced the faucet end of the tub, he kneeled behind Alec, moulding himself to Alec’s back, wrapping one arm around Alec’s torso.

 

“This is something that we can explore if you want to,” Magnus whispered in Alec’s ear before sucking a soft kiss into Alec’s neck. Reaching around, he took Alec’s dick in hand, feeling just how hard Alec was at the thought of it.

 

“I don’t want to hurt you, Magnus. I don’t want to feed off you. You mean more to me than that,” Alec said, his eyes falling closed, head dropping back onto Magnus’ shoulder from the perfect grip on his dick and lips, nipping soft kisses into his neck. Magnus was everything to him, the thought of turning his husband into a blood bank wasn’t something that he even wanted to contemplate.

 

“That’s not something that either of us wants. But sharing blood can be used as part of our sex life,” Magnus said, stroking Alec faster under the water, pressing another kiss to Alec’s throat when Alec shuddered in his arms. “It can heighten the experience, draw it out and make it hotter than you can imagine,” he said.

 

“And it can be addictive,” Alec said, breathing just as hard as Magnus was, his hips jerking forward. Images of sinking his teeth into Magnus’ neck whilst fucking him flashed through his head, pulling him in 100 different directions.

 

“I’m a Warlock. While addiction isn’t impossible for me, I have immunities to help fight it off,” Magnus said, moving in time with Alec’s thrusting hips, his dick sawing at Alec’s crack with each jerk of their hips. Alec wasn’t the only one hard from the thought of it. He had actually experienced it before and knew exactly how hot it could be.

 

“And what if I get addicted to you?” Alec asked, wondering if it was already too late for that question. He had been addicted to Magnus since their first kiss. Reaching back to grip Magnus’ hip, he pulled Magnus closer. The sensation of Magnus’ solid dick, wedged into the crack of his ass, was stealing his focus but he couldn’t stop himself from grinding back against his husband.

 

“Then this is something that we should negotiate. We only do it occasionally, we stop it before it goes too far and only when we both want it,” Magnus said, his voice soft and husky from the drag on his dick. Releasing Alec’s dick, smirking into his husband's neck when Alec’s hand replaced his own, he waved his hand and reached between them, pushing his fingers between Alec’s ass cheeks.

 

Alec let out a low groan when Magnus’ questing fingers pressed against his already clenching hole. He did want it, more than he thought he would. But he wanted to be sure that Magnus did, that Magnus wasn’t just doing it for him. 

 

“Do you want it?” Alec asked shakily, his voice wavering when Magnus pushed two fingers into him. The insistent digits slid slowly but easily into him, right up to Magnus’ knuckles, making him suspect that Magnus had summoned some of his magically concocted waterproof lube.

 

“Yes,” Magnus breathed, his hips rolling against Alec’s ass cheek for some friction on his dick. The clench of Alec’s tight hole around his fingers threatened to steal all of his concentration away but he checked himself, slowly pulling his fingers almost out of Alec’s body before pushing in a little faster.

 

“Okay. Just promise me that we won’t take it too far,” Alec said, the words trailing off into one long, drawn-out moan. The pressure in his ass was phenomenal. Not as good as when Magnus’ dick was inside him but close enough. Rolling his hips, he started meeting Magnus’ twisting thrusts, pleasure spiking through the nerves in his rim.

 

“I promise,” Magnus said, curling his fingers to rub over Alec’s prostate, his lips burning a trail down Alec’s neck. His breathing picked up, hips moving more insistently with every brush of his fingers. Alec’s reactions to his ministrations, the buck of his husband's hips were breathtaking.

 

Alec loosened around Magnus’ fingers in increments, every curl over his nerves relaxing him further until the pressure turned more insistent. The heavier strokes had pleasure spiking through his channel in waves, drawing breathless, gravelly moans from him, threatening to make him cum untouched. 

 

“Make love to me,” Alec groaned, needing to feel Magnus as close to him as possible. The emptiness he felt when Magnus’ fingers pulled out of his ass would have had him crying out if Magnus’ cock head wasn’t immediately pressed to his clenching hole.

 

Magnus added more lube to Alec’s hole and his dick with a wave of his hand. Gripping his dick, he trailed the tip of it up and down the valley of Alec’s crack, searching by touch for his husband's entrance. 

 

“Bite me when you’re about to cum, it will draw it out,” Magnus murmured, teasing his dick in and out of Alec’s hole to open him up a little wider. Feeling Alec’s hole loosen more when Alec nodded, he pushed deeper into Alec’s ass with longer thrusts, his eyes rolling back when Alec’s rim squeezed the sensitive head of his cock. It stole his wits and his breath, and almost his focus from how tight and perfect it felt.

 

Alec leaned forward, gripping the taps for balance, smiling when Magnus came with him. The feeling of Magnus’ skin against his, the reassuring weight of Magnus plastered to his back and the backs of his thighs was one of his favourite feelings in the world. The closeness he felt to his husband was something that he never wanted to go without again.

 

Magnus released his hold on Alec’s chest and slid his hands down Alec’s arms. Wrapping his hands around Alec’s where they gripped the taps, he interlocked their fingers and started up a steady rhythm of strokes, pushing deeper into Alec’s body each time. Alec’s mouth was amazing but his ass was perfection.

 

Alec relished the stretch on his rim, his hips rolling to meet Magnus’ thrusts. The slapping of their skin echoed through the room, mixing with the sounds of their moans, his loud, Magnus’ muffled where his husband’s lips brushed the skin between his shoulder blades. He tipped his head, nuzzling into Magnus’ when Magnus trailed a line of kisses over his shoulder and up his neck, each kiss punctuated with a buck of Magnus’ hips. 

 

“...’s so good,” Alec muttered, unable to come up with anything else. The hickey that Magnus sucked behind his ear had a shiver running up and down his spine, especially when Magnus added some teeth. The line between the pleasure of the soft digging and the perceived danger that Magnus’ teeth presented had his bobbing dick leaking furiously. 

 

Magnus lost himself in Alec, in the squeeze of his dick with every inch he pushed into his husband, the cool temperature of Alec’s body keeping a sheen of sweat, that would have undoubtedly broken over his skin, at bay. Everything else faded away until it was only them. 

 

There were no problematic armies of dead people, no deposed Queen on the warpath, no missed friends and family. Just him and Alec, moving together, both of them crying out at the overwhelming pleasure of being with the one they loved most in the world.

 

Alec could feel his release coming on, building in his balls, pooling in his gut. Magnus was everywhere, blanketing his body, warm, hard lines against his skin, pressing into him. Magnus’ scent curled through his lungs, musky and beautiful, and tempting in a way he had never felt before. He wanted all of it, every part of his husband, as much as Magnus wanted every part of him.

 

“Magnus… I… fuck!” Alec panted, the reaction automatic from how overwhelmed he was. 

 

“Do it, bite me,” Magnus moaned, near the brink himself. He knew that Alec was close, could feel it in the jerk of Alec’s thighs every time he slammed forward, could hear it in the small, low growl that built in the back of Alec’s throat whenever they made love and Alec was close. 

 

Releasing the grip he had on the tap, Alec flipped his hand around so Magnus’ hand was in his own and interlocked their fingers once more. Raising their joined hands to his neck, he used the strength of one fingernail to slice a small cut in his neck, right next to Magnus’ lips, leaving it up to Magnus if he wanted a taste. 

 

Alec barely winced at the small cut, too focussed on his impending release and the sound of Magnus’ pulse in his ears. It was fast, but the speed of it sounded more like excitement than fear, something he didn’t know had a differentiation until he had turned.

 

Magnus watched the blood bead up in front of him before his eyelids fluttered from the soft, sucking kisses that Alec pressed to the inside of his wrist. The soft scrape of one fang against his skin had him bucking harder, his hips almost stuttering from the anticipation that curled in the pit of his stomach. 

 

Letting his tongue dart out, Magnus licked up the small trickle of blood that had dripped from the cut on Alec’s throat, a husky whine escaping when the taste exploded over his tongue. Clamping his lips to the cut, he sucked, the blood flowing more easily now, scattering his thoughts.

 

Alec bit into Magnus’ wrist, going as gently as he could, just enough to break the skin. He didn’t know where he found the strength not to just ravage Magnus, especially when Magnus’ hot blood flooded his mouth but he managed to hold himself back. Magnus’ blood tasted slightly bitter, probably the demon half but the mundane half more than made up for it. This was the first time he had drunk from an actual person. The fact that Magnus had this first too only made it better.

 

Alec’s pleasure spiked beyond anything that he had ever experienced. The flow of blood worked its way through his system, slipping through his entire body with waves of pure pleasure and desire that left him shuddering from head to toe. The loud, filthy moan in his ear had him rolling his hips harder, moaning into Magnus’ wrist where it was clamped between his teeth.

 

Alec almost lost himself as he sucked more of Magnus’ blood in, his hold on Magnus’ wrist tightening. Bucking his hips, he met Magnus thrust for thrust, his brain almost shutting down from the overwhelming sensations that flooded him, from Magnus’ blood and the harder sucking at his neck. Unable to stop himself, he tilted his head further when Magnus released his neck, wanting Magnus to take more.

 

“Fuck! Fuck fuck,” Magnus groaned, into Alec’s skin. Dropping his head once more, he sucked at Alec’s neck, his balls drawing up fast. It was overwhelming, the raw pleasure that coursed through him with the blood and venom that sunk into his body with Alec’s bite, Alec’s blood flowing in his mouth. He had to release Alec’s neck to breathe, rutting into Alec’s ass when he came, the bite drawing it out.

 

Magnus buried his face in the crook of Alec’s shoulder, grunting from his release and the strain that he felt on his wrist, even as he continued to flood Alec’s tight hole with cum. Just about having enough presence of mind for the action, he tapped at Alec’s cheek before giving himself over to the waves of pleasure that continued to flow through him.

 

Alec focussed enough to pull his fangs out of Magnus’ wrist when he felt the tap on his cheek, pulling back with a monumental effort at what he assumed was a signal for him to stop. He twisted his head, breathing hard with the taste of Magnus on his tongue, to see Magnus’ blissed out face right next to his own. 

 

The expression on Magnus’ face cleared Alec’s head a little, driving him to retract his fangs and press his lips to Magnus’ in a hungry kiss. The trust that Magnus had in him was a bigger turn on than the blood in his system, it was breathtaking. Straightening them up, keeping hold of Magnus’ arm to keep them pressed together, he took his dick in his free hand, only needing a few quick tugs to bring himself off. 

 

The combined taste of them and the voice in Alec’s head, screaming at him that he was on the hunt drew his orgasm out. And the deep, grinding thrusts in his ass only made it better, Magnus’ dick scraping along his prostate.

 

Magnus panted for air, moaning when Alec’s tongue darted over his wrist again. A shiver ran through him as he wondered if Alec was going to take more but the soft lick told him that Alec was just closing the wound over. As soon as Alec’s head turned in his direction again, he claimed his husband’s lips, sinking into Alec’s mouth as he had done with his ass.

 

Alec reached up behind him, threading his fingers into Magnus’ hair to hold him in place. He grinned against Magnus’ lips when Magnus’ arms wrapped tightly around him, one at his waist, the other gripping his chin tightly. Crazy waves of pleasure and desire and the taste of Magnus drove through him, dragging a growl from the back of his throat. It had been so much hotter than he had been expecting, still was.

 

“I’ love you, Magnus Lightwood-Bane,” Alec mumbled against Magnus’ lips when Magnus pulled back to try and breathe, his dick giving a couple of interested twitches as aftershocks ran through him.

 

“Not as much as I love you, Alexander Lightwood-Bane,” Magnus said, wishing that there were more people in Edom so he could introduce people to his husband. The thought of it had him giggling, his brain fading in and out of focus. He loved saying the words Lightwood-Bane as much as Alec loved hearing it.

 

Alec pulled off of Magnus’ dick and disentangled himself from Magnus, turned around in the blink of an eye, uncaring of the water that slopped over the side of the bath. The floor was flooded anyway. Pushing Magnus back until he was lying on his back, he slotted himself between Magnus’ thighs and lay with his face pressed into Magnus’ stomach, wanting to be as close to him as possible.

 

Magnus was more than happy to wrap his legs around Alec, his fingers threading through the damp waves of Alec’s hair when Alec nipped soft kisses into his chest and stomach. They could get cleaned up in a moment, right now, he was just content to lie with his world between his legs and enjoy the soft scratch of chest hair against his stomach, too blissed out to do anything else. For the moment.


	10. Chapter 10

Alec left the loft, emerging into the throne room with a bottle of blood in one hand and a note from Magnus clutched in his other. He had done as instructed and dressed in training gear, intrigued by Magnus’ instruction to meet him in the courtyard, upon waking.

 

Noting that all of the pillar candles remained in place, unlit, along with their wedding arch, he approved of the throne room. It was much better now that there was a roof and it looked the part, a room fit for rulers of a realm. 

 

Alec still thought it odd that they were now supposed to rule over a realm but they had been through crazier situations before. So he made his way down the aisle and out through the much more welcoming looking entrance hall.

 

Emerging through the large arched front door, Alec stopped in the doorway, his eyebrow rising as he looked around the ridiculously spacious extended courtyard, now surrounded by a tall, fully built wall with two huge gates that matched the front door of their home. The courtyard was huge now, large enough for him to be able to really let loose.

 

“What do you think of the new training yard?” Magnus asked when he caught sight of Alec, looking hot as fuck in his black sweats and gray sweater, black stripes running down the sleeves. Gray always looked good on his husband. And made it hard for him to concentrate on actual training, rather than jumping Alec’s bones.

 

“I think you wore that on purpose to distract me,” Alec said, taking in Magnus’ baggy black harem pants and the baggy black tank Magnus was wearing, hair unstyled and flopping over his forehead, minimal makeup. Magnus looked like a snack.

 

“Nonsense, these are standard training clothes,” Magnus said, rolling his eyes when Alec’s eyes raked over him. As if they hadn’t gotten enough the night before. Alec looked extra thirsty today. “Is there anything else we need?” he asked, allowing it when Alec appeared behind him and wrapped him up from behind.

 

“All I need is you,” Alec murmured in Magnus’ ear, having to restrain himself when he wanted to grope all of Magnus’ muscles, displayed magnificently by the baggy tank. 

 

“I meant training wise?” Magnus asked, unwinding Alec’s arms from around his stomach. Alec’s questing fingers, playing over his abs, threatened to steal all of his concentration. Thinking it safer to step away from Alec before they could get carried away, he gestured around again. They needed to train.

 

Alec pouted for a moment before putting his Shadowhunter head on. They needed to train. Glancing around, he took in the targets that lined three of the far walls that surrounded them, the racks of weapons, the large foam mat on the floor and an area that was left clear. Space for Magnus to practice his magic, he suspected.

 

“It’s great but do you have the magic to spare for this?” Alec asked, gesturing around at all of the gear. Magnus looked a lot better than he had the day before, not as tired as he should be, considering they had spent the night making love to each other until what he assumed were the early hours. It was hard to tell the passage of time in Edom.

 

“Actually, I feel much better. I think your blood helped restore me. That and the monumental amount of time we spent sleeping. It is almost evening,” Magnus said, laughing at the surprise on Alec’s face. He showed Alec his watch, set to the same time as it would be back in New York. Alec had slept for fourteen hours straight.

 

“I feel better for it too. Maybe your blood helped restore me,” Alec said, rolling his shoulders. The drained, tired feeling from the day before had vanished, his now usual strength returned to him. “How do you feel about that?” he asked, wanting to be sure that Magnus was okay with what they had done.

 

“The blood sharing?” Magnus asked as he started stretching, his eyes flicking up to catch Alec’s nod. “I enjoyed it. It made the experience even more pleasurable and was one hell of a way to spend our wedding night. Don’t worry, I haven’t gained some wild addiction to you overnight. I look forward to doing it again but I’m more than happy with our sex life the way it is. It’s something that we can save for special occasions - if you are okay with that?”

 

“Of course. It was good… it was amazing. But you’re right, it should be saved for special occasions. I mean, you taste amazing but I wouldn’t like to drink from you all of the time,” Alec said. The mock hurt on Magnus’ face had his eyes rolling. “You know what I mean,” he said with a shake of his head. It had been amazing. But it wasn’t something that he wanted for them every time they had sex.

 

“I do, and I’m glad we’re on the same page with this,” Magnus said, pausing the stretch of his arm across his chest to give Alec a quick peck on the lips before returning to his stretches.

 

Alec wondered if he should be stretching too. He would much rather watch Magnus, his husband's muscles gliding against one another under his beautiful golden skin. Tearing his eyes away, he made a poor attempt at stretching before giving up. 

 

The strength that flowed through Alec’s own muscles was at full capacity and he hadn’t so much as pulled a muscle since he had crawled out of the ground. Every move seemed to be easy and instinctual, and even on his miles long run from where he had portalled into the realm, to their home, he hadn’t felt winded or strained once. _ Perks of being a Vampire,  _ he thought with a smirk.

 

Alec did take a few laps around their home though, inside the walls of what he now thought of as a sort of compound. It was more for fun than the need for exercise. The wind in his hair and the world rushing past was something that he found he enjoyed immensely and he was actually looking forward to seeing what he could do. The training session that he had had with his friends and family had been great but he hadn’t had space to just let go and test his limits yet. 

 

Instead of running back around the building to meet Magnus out front, Alec skidded to a stop at the back of their house and bent his knees, pushing off from the ground.  It was ridiculously easy to place his feet correctly when he landed on the roof, bending his knees slightly to absorb the impact. The view from the twenty-foot height was far-reaching. He could see a lot of the realm.

 

The view was boring. It was the same in every direction, stunted trees, rocks, dirt, the odd cave here and there. Boring. He could also see the things that flew through the air a little clearer, large wraiths that congregated around the rift above their home. One strip of blue in the perpetually orange sky. 

 

It seemed that the rift couldn’t hold the attention of one one of the wraiths, however. Alec’s fangs snapped out, a pounding in his head that almost sounded like a heartbeat but was actually his anger, taking over as he watched it fly through the sky, clearly on the hunt and aiming for the courtyard where Magnus was. 

 

The sight of it dropping through the air had Alec’s vision turning red with blood lust. He launched himself forward, flat out running across the roof, his own hunt consuming him. Coiling his muscles to give him some extra distance when he reached the edge, he launched himself off of the roof and sailed through the air to land on top of the wraith. 

 

Grabbing it’s leathery wings and not even thinking the action through, Alec ripped into its scaly neck with his fangs, snarling his fury out. All he could think of was protecting 

Magnus, thanking the angel that his husband was further out, and not directly below them.

 

Magnus’ head snapped up when he heard a furious snarl and a pain-filled screech, his heart beating right out of his chest when he saw Alec wrestling a wraith in mid-air, high above the ground but getting closer. The wraith was unable to stay in the air for long with Alec grappling with its wings. Letting red fire lick over his palms, he looked for a weak spot, somewhere that he could hit it without hitting Alec. His stomach clenched when the creature’s barbed tail whipped around.

 

Alec almost felt the blow on his back, a split second before the Wraith started screaming in agony, the creature’s back almost disintegrating beneath him. Leaping off of the wraith, he fell through the air, managing to flip his body and land on one knee next to the flailing, screaming creature where it crashed to the ground. 

 

Alec ignored the wraith’s writhing, choking out the small amount of ichor that he had ingested. It burnt his mouth and tasted vile. He had tried not to swallow any, just using his fangs to tear into the creature’s neck but some had inevitably gone down.

 

Magnus reached Alec as quickly as he could, fighting through the panic that had shot through him when he had seen Alec fall. It had taken him a moment to remember that Alec was a Vampire now and could easily handle the twenty-foot drop but that didn’t stop him from worrying. 

 

Seeing Alec choke, Magnus produced a glass of water, urging Alec to swill his mouth out with it while he surveyed Alec’s back. There wasn’t a blemish on it. Alec should have had long furrows gouged into his skin by the barbs in the creature’s tail but there was nothing.

 

“Are you okay?” Magnus asked, his voice surprisingly steady. The pitiful noises that the wraith was making in its death throwes had Magnus putting the creature out of its misery with a bolt of magic, silencing it and getting rid of its carcass quickly.

 

“Yeah, it’s okay, I’m okay,” Alec grunted. His tongue and throat burned slightly from the demonic blood but it was healing. He would have to work on not ingesting the blood when he attacked with his fangs but had no idea how to do that. The only option he had would be to do it again but he couldn’t exactly see any of the wraiths friends volunteering.

 

“What were you thinking? You could have been seriously hurt!” Magnus asked, unable to push back his panicked anger. He had damn near had a heart attack when he had seen Alec fight the thing. Its wingspan must have been twelve feet alone.

 

“I was thinking that my brand new husband was about to get eaten before we were even out of the honeymoon period,” Alec mumbled, swilling his mouth out once more. The ichor really did taste disgusting. Nothing like the fresh glass of warm blood that Magnus conjured for him.

 

“Sorry… I just… I guess I’m still getting used to the fact that you are a lot more durable now,” Magnus said, wrapping his arms around Alec’s waist when Alec held one arm out. “You would think I would worry less now,” he mumbled into Alec’s neck, squeezing a little harder than necessary. He had spent more than a few nights worrying about Alec when Alec had been a Shadowhunter.

 

“Thank you for worrying about me but I’m fine,” Alec said, pressing a kiss to Magnus’ temple before chugging the rest of the blood down when Magnus pulled back.

 

“So that’s what the mark of Cain looks like in action,” Magnus said thoughtfully, going back through what he had just witnessed in his head. “They don’t have to make physical contact with you before the mark affects the one who assaults you?” he asked, thankful for how effective the mark was. It did make it easier to know that Alec didn’t have to suffer physically.

 

“And whatever they do to you ends up happening to them, but a hell of a lot worse?” Magnus asked when Alec nodded.

 

“Yeah. Simon tested it out just before I portalled here,” Alec said, fighting his eye roll when he thought about Simon skidding across the training room floor on his ass.

 

“Ah yes, your sire,” Magnus said, his eyes sparkling with mirth when Alec gave him a look that quite clearly said  _ ‘don’t’. _ “It’s not like he had turned that many people or like he was actually lucid enough to know what he was doing when he bit Heidi,” he grinned. Alec had explained that Simon was his sire, and told him about how he had been transformed. 

 

The expression on Alec’s face when Magnus had explained that Alec had only needed to die with Simon’s blood in his system and that the bite and the venom had been unnecessary, was one that Magnus wished he had captured. 

 

Alec had considered asking for a hole in the rift so that he could return to New York to throttle Simon when he had found out that he hadn’t needed Simon’s venom to turn. As Magnus had pointed out, however, it wasn’t Simon’s fault that he didn’t know. Simon didn’t actually enjoy being a Vampire and he wasn’t all that good at it so he let his sire off.

 

“Yes, my sire,” Alec said when Magnus opened his mouth, probably to tease him again. A smirk spread across his face when his petty retort registered with Magnus. Magnus had teased him mercilessly about Simon biting him. 

 

Until Alec had pointed out the obvious. 

 

“Yes, well…” Magnus sniffed. He almost had a caveman moment where he clunked Alec around the head and started banging on his chest to warn everyone away from what was his. The image that filled his head, however, of him crouching over Alec’s prone body, screeching “MY PRECIOUS!” was not a classy one. So he reigned himself in. Just.

 

“You know I only have eyes for you, right?” Alec asked with sparkling eyes and a huge grin, winding his arms around Magnus’ waist. Magnus was far too adorable when he was jealous. “I promise I’ll never let anyone bite me ever again,” he said, batting his lashes at his husband.

 

“Shut up,” Magnus muttered, accepting the kiss that Alec smacked to his lips. The mark of Cain would take care of anyone who tried to bite his husband. “Come on, fool,” he said, unwinding Alec’s arms and ignoring the chuckle to pull Alec over to the weapons racks.

 

“Seeing as you can’t use Nephilim weapons anymore, I’ve upgraded some mundane ones,” Magnus said, piling daggers and swords into Alec’s arms. He plucked a dagger from the rack and showed it to Alec.

 

“What are those?” Alec asked, pointing out the small symbols that were etched into the handle of the dagger with a jerk of his head. They were similar to the runes that covered most of his old weapons. But different. 

 

“Spells for accuracy and to give the weapons further reach. You will be able to use magic infused weapons, now that you are a Downworlder,” Magnus said, handing the dagger to Alec. “Try it out.”

 

Alec stashed the swords under his left arm and palmed the dagger. Drawing his arm up, he sighted a target, a good fifty feet away, and let the dagger snap out with a flick of his wrist. The spells and his natural strength and aim sent it sailing easily into the bullseye of the target.

 

“Excellent!” Magnus said, rubbing his hands together and pulling a few more weapons from the racks. The spells had worked just how he had intended them to. Moving onto the next rack, he piled a couple of bows into Alec’s arms, grinning when Alec looked like a walking armoury.

 

“Okay, okay. I think I have enough to be getting on with,” Alec chuckled when Magnus started weighing up a pike and a mace. He was keen to test out the bows. Dropping the weapons in a pile at his feet, he plucked a longbow, a recurve bow, and a compound bow from the pile and inspected the runic looking symbols on them, doing the same with the quiver of arrows that Magnus handed him.

 

“How long were you up before me?” Alec asked, inspecting each arrow, tiny, beautiful symbols carved into the shaft of each one. He selected the recurve bow, testing the draw and snapping the bowstring for his troubles.

 

“Oh, a couple of hours. I wanted to get set up, lots to prepare,” Magnus said, patting Alec’s cheek softly. The missing snores still bothered him but Alec had looked peaceful in slumber so he had let his husband get a couple more hours. It hadn’t been as bad when he had woken to a non-breathing Alec this afternoon but it was still unnerving.

 

Alec nodded his thanks when Magnus took the bow and restored and strengthened the string with his magic. Taking it back, the reinforced draw much better, he slung the quiver over his back and set to work putting as many arrows in the targets as would fit. A grin split his face when he realised that no matter how many arrows he drew, the quiver never seemed to empty.

 

“Perks of being a Warlock,” Magnus said with a wiggle of his fingers, gawping at the blurred speed with which Alec drew and released the arrows. Shaking himself off, he crossed the courtyard to the space that he had left for himself and started going through some Katas, warming his magic up nicely. He had kept a few of the targets separate for himself.

 

Alec forgot about practice, watching Magnus work. The beauty of Magnus’ graceful movements wasn’t lost on him. Magnus looked like he was dancing, fighting and conducting a symphony, all at the same time. 

 

Add in the magic that Magnus was directing at his targets and Alec was a goner. 

 

“Are the weapons not to your liking, Alexander?” Magnus called out as he shaped a defensive spell into a bolt, similar to one of Alec’s crossbow bolts, and destroyed a target with it. He could feel Alec’s eyes glued to his back.

 

“Uh yeah, they’re fine,” Alec muttered, snatching another arrow from his quiver and nocking it. “Would you be able to put a workbench in my training room and conjure me some supplies if I give you a list?” he asked as he sighted his target and let the bowstring slide over his fingers, splitting one of the arrows already buried there down the middle to bury the new one in the target.

 

“Sure, what do you need it for?” Magnus asked, tossing a fireball back and forth between his hands to watch Alec. He only drooled a little bit when Alec drew his right arm back, watching the biceps and triceps of Alec’s left arm go taut with the action. The focus and precision, the straight line of Alec’s left arm and the flex of his hips were beautiful to watch.

 

“I want to make some of my sister’s three and five tipped arrows. These are great but they would come in handy if we have to face down an entire horde,” Alec said, letting loose once more. They would need the range of his bow if they were to face down more than a handful of enemies, he couldn’t just let them keep running at him and let the mark take them out.

 

During the nights when Alec had been unable to sleep, as a Shadowhunter, he had always gone looking for his sister and had usually found her making or repairing a weapon of some kind. The armoury was her go-to place when she couldn’t sleep either. 

 

Alec had learned a lot from sitting and watching Izzy, helping out now and then as they had chatted, and was pretty sure he could reproduce the weapons himself. If Magnus could get enough yew wood and some decent carving tools.

 

“Of course. Or I could add another workbench to my workroom. That way you could have access to my ingredients, see if we can’t come up with some extra protection for the weapons,” Magnus suggested, smiling when Alec nodded. 

 

Reluctantly dragging his eyes away from Alec, Magnus went back to working on his defensive spells, digging deep into his memories for anything that would help against a psychotic demon Queen and her undead minions.

 

Alec moved around the courtyard, switching out the bows, learning how to shoot on the fly. It was harder than he had thought it would be to anticipate where he would need to aim as he ran at top speed, to hit his target. But it was also fun. It looked like he had something new to learn about archery and relished the opportunity to add to his skills.

 

Deciding to test his range out, Alec leapt for the roof once more and started firing arrows at the targets that lined the walls, using the harder hitting compound bow to bury more arrows in the bullseyes until he was satisfied that he could hit them from a decent distance.

 

Alec dropped down from the roof of their house once more and flitted over to the weapons racks. Selecting a short sword and Katana, he swung them through the air, getting the feel for the swords. It was a lot different than when he had been a Shadowhunter. The weight and balance of each sword was different now so he had to adjust his swing.

 

“Uh, Magnus? I guess we didn’t really think the swords through,” Alec said when he had gotten to grips with the new weights of the swords. He had his weapons but nobody to practice with. He couldn’t exactly go up against Magnus.

 

Magnus had been watching Alec play with his swords, thinking the parries and reposts were cute. Alec looked like a five-year-old, swinging his big pointy weapons with glee. His husband was right though, he hadn’t thought of a way for Alec to practice. Sure, he could conjure up a post but that wasn’t exactly helpful, it wasn’t like a post could fight back.

 

“Try these,” Magnus said, snapping his fingers. Four moving straw mannequins appeared, all armed with their own swords, already swinging, all headed for Alec. The grin that spread over Alec’s face was almost predatory, and only the tiniest bit hot. Until the mannequins exploded. 

 

Alec stared around himself at the smoking, singed straw that rained through the air, growling a little out of frustration. He hadn't even gotten five good swings in before his mark had activated. So much for sword practice.

 

“Okaaaay, back to the drawing board,” Magnus said, staring at the pile of smoking straw with one raised eyebrow. A post it would have to be. Waving the straw away, he conjured a wooden post, vaguely human-shaped, and watched Alec start hacking at it.

 

Alec muttered at himself under his breath as he went to town on the wooden post, hacking his frustration out. They needed the mark but it was starting to make his life a lot more difficult than it needed to be. Sure, he was thankful that he had some extra protection for himself and Magnus but really? The mannequins had been harmless enough, huge broadswords notwithstanding.

 

The mannequins had been a failure for Alec but Magnus dragged his eyes away from his snarling husband and conjured a few more for himself, setting them to attack from all directions. Spinning on the spot, he threw out bolt after bolt, fireballs, spells that scattered and chased the straw mannequins, producing more and more of the figures as he destroyed them. It was nice to let loose, to challenge himself. 

 

The evening wore on, never getting any darker but stretching out nonetheless. 

 

Giving up on the swords for the evening when he had reduced the wooden post to splinters, Alec looked around to find Magnus slumped in a big fluffy… chair? Watching him, his husband sipping a cocktail. The huge paper fan that Magnus had conjured, waving a soft breeze was probably over the top, but the heat didn’t affect him so he wouldn’t know.

 

“What are you laughing at? It’s hot here! And bean bag chairs were all the rage at one time. Plus, they  _ are  _ comfortable,” Magnus said, conjuring a bean bag and a martini glass full of blood for his husband.

 

Alec slumped down onto the bean bag, taking Magnus’ word for it that they were comfortable. Maybe there was a knack to sitting in one? If there was, Magnus wasn’t sharing his secrets. Accepting a large glass of blood when it was offered, he sipped it, raising a questioning eyebrow when he saw the purse of Magnus’ lips.

 

“We’ve worked hard today with our individual training but we need to find a way to work together,” Magnus said, silently appraising everything that they had individually worked on. “I want to try something,” he said, sending his glass away with a wave of his hand, straightening up.

 

Raising his hands, Magnus let his magic play over his palms before sending it out as a shield to wrap around Alec. A triumphant smile played across his lips when there was no other effect than him being able to shield his husband. The shield made him feel much better about Alec going up against Lilith. It was easy enough to protect himself but he had been worrying about Alec.

 

“Maybe the mark recognises protective magic?” Alec asked, a little shaken by the move Magnus had made but intrigued about the mark and it’s non-reaction to Magnus’ magic. An arrow, appearing in his hand with a snap of Magnus’ had him blinking down at it for a moment. 

 

“Perhaps? I wonder if it will recognise…?” Magnus cut off with a strangled, pain-filled cry when he found himself flying backwards through the air, feeling like his hand had been set on fire. All he had done was send a fireball towards the arrow to light it up.

 

“MAGNUS?” Alec was across the courtyard in the blink of an eye, leaping forward and snatching Magnus from the air before his husband could slam into the wall he was heading for. There was barely a second for him to register that the fireball had grazed his pinky, his mind storing the pain away in a small corner, his fear for Magnus taking over everything else.

 

Alec wrapped himself around Magnus as much as he could, trying to shield his husband when they rolled across the ground until they came to a stop. The pain-filled grunts Magnus was making made his stomach roll. He sat them up with Magnus in his lap, his stomach dropping through the ground when he saw the hand Magnus was clutching to his chest.

 

Magnus bit into his lip to stop from letting another sound out. It wasn’t working. Looking down at his hand when Alec had him seated in his lap, he almost blacked out. The blisters that were starting to form up the side of his hand had his stomach rolling with nausea. Snapping his fingers, he tried to focus enough to heal himself, not an easy feat when waves of agony radiated from his hand.

 

“Come on, Magnus, heal yourself,” Alec muttered, clutching his husband to him helplessly. The sparks of magic emanating from Magnus’ shaking right hand weren’t working. Seeing the pain that Magnus was failing to hide, in Magnus’ unglamoured eyes, he tried something that he never thought he would do to his husband.

 

“There is no pain. You can’t feel it, it doesn’t hurt,” Alec said, looking into Magnus’ eyes, trying to  _ Encanto _ Magnus. It wasn’t working, he didn’t know how to  _ Encanto _ anyone. Letting out a frustrated growl when Magnus blinked up at him, he tried again, cursing himself for not learning how to do it.

 

“Ignore the pain, Magnus. It doesn’t exist, it is all in your mind,” Alec said, using every ounce of his will power to take control of Magnus, his desperation to help Magnus pushing him to focus on the words coming from his mouth, to will Magnus to do as he said. 

 

“Look at me, not your hand. It is just a tiny burn, it barely even hurts. Do as I tell you, Magnus. Heal yourself, now. Push the pain away and reach for your magic. Heal the skin there, right now,” Alec said in a smoothe, commanding tone that he didn’t know he possessed, watching Magnus’ pupils dilate, praying to the angel that it was working.

 

Magnus’ pain faded away when he looked into Alec’s eyes, the words making him forget that his hand was blistering up. A soft smile spread over his face as his head went a little woozy. Looking down at his hand again, he listened to Alec, realising that he should probably heal the nasty looking burn. 

 

The relief on Magnus’ face and the relief that spread through Alec when Magnus’ magic snapped to life, only made Alec feel guilty. It had never even occurred to him to learn how to  _ Encanto _ someone before, especially not his husband. Even when Magnus’ magic soothed the burn away, he still felt awful for taking control of Magnus like that.

 

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Alec mumbled into Magnus’ neck when his husband relaxed in his arms. He wasn’t sure if he was apologising for taking control of Magnus or for hurting him in the first place. Maybe both.

 

“Alexander?” Magnus asked, raising a hand to brush it through Alec’s hair when his head cleared. “Alexander… what...?” he asked when Alec flinched. Tugging Alec’s head out from his shoulder, it took a moment for his head to un-fog enough to realise what had just happened. “Look at me,” he said when Alec refused to meet his gaze.

 

“Magnus… I’m so sorry. I would never hurt you…” Alec said around the lump in his throat when he looked Magnus in the eye, blinking furiously.

 

“I know you wouldn’t,” Magnus said, cupping Alec’s jaw, his fingers playing in the strands of hair behind Alec’s ear. “I was careless, I shouldn’t have just flung that spell at you like that. I should have just willed the arrow to light up like I did yesterday when we confronted Lilith. I wanted to see if we could find a way to make my magic work for you,” he said.

 

“This mark was supposed to protect us, not set you on fire when you weren’t even trying to hurt me,” Alec said, screwing his eyes up in his frustration. “I’m so sorry that I _Encanto’d_ you. You have to know, I never want to control you, to take your free will away. I just… I… it was like my office all over again.  You were hurt and there was nothing else I could do. All I could think about was not wanting to lose you, and I...” he trailed off, opening his eyes to look into Magnus’. 

 

“You helped me. I couldn’t focus through the pain to… the pain. I hurt you,” Magnus said when realisation dawned. Sitting up properly, between Alec’s legs, he tugged at Alec’s left hand, holding on tighter when Alec tried to pull away.

 

“I’m fine,” Alec mumbled, unable to meet Magnus’ gaze.

 

“You’re not fine. The mark reacts specifically to the threat against you, remember?” Magnus asked, shaking his head and tugging at Alec’s hand to take a proper look at it. The blisters on Alec’s hand weren’t as bad as his had been but it still looked raw and painful. Placing his hand over Alec’s burn, he sent his soothing magic into Alec’s hand, healing it faster than Alec’s natural healing abilities could.

 

“I still shouldn’t have done that to you, it doesn’t feel right,” Alec said, letting Magnus heal him. 

 

“Controlling others is never a perfect solution but you did it to help me when I couldn’t help myself. It’s okay,” Magnus said, letting his thumb brush over Alec’s now smooth skin. 

 

“Isn’t that how controlling people always justify their actions? They tell themselves that they’re helping. Before they know it, they’ve created an army of rogue Shadowhunters and are trying to destroy the Down…” Alec cut off when Magnus shushed him with a finger to his lips.

 

“Nobody ever said any of this was going to be easy, love. Do you know how I know you won’t turn into some power-crazed control freak?” Magnus asked, smiling when Alec’s lips quirked under his finger, his husband shrugging his shoulders. “Because you find the idea of taking someone's choices away from them abhorrent. You aren’t Valentine, not even close,” he said.

 

“I know. I just want you to know that I’ll never do anything like that…” Alec cut off when a flash of light went off behind Magnus. He spun Magnus behind him in an instant, putting himself between his husband and the unexpected flair of magic. “What the fuck?” he asked, his jaw dropping.

 

Magnus peered over Alec’s shoulder, silently reminding himself to have a word with his husband about his penchant for putting himself in the path of any and all danger. The sight that greeted him, however, put those thoughts on the back burner. It was a message, burning into the ground with a faint golden glow to the words;

  
  


**_Hey guys, it’s Simon._ **

**_Hope the weather is nice in Edom and you aren’t too bored without us._ **

**_We finally found a use for the grave dirt!_ **

**_Just wanted to let you know that we went to the Seelie realm like a bunch of badass hunters and totally kicked ass_ **

 

Alec tried to keep his eye-rolling to a minimum when the message cut off all of a sudden. Looking over his shoulder, he exchanged a look with Magnus before something caught his husband’s attention again. Looking back at the ground he watched a new message form underneath Simon’s words.

 

**_Hey guys, it’s Clary here._ **

**_Ignore Simon, he got carried away. We went to the Seelie realm but Jonathan escaped. There have been some interesting developments with Izzy’s heavenly fire though. She’s working on a formula to_ **

 

“To what?” Alec asked, staring at the ground when the message cut off again. 

 

“I don’t have the faintest idea,” Magnus said, waiting for something else. When it seemed that there was nothing more forthcoming, he crawled around Alec and knelt next to the message, scooping up a little of the dirt and ash residue that was left behind. Raising it to his nose, he sniffed it before rubbing it between his fingers, scanning the dirt with his magic.

 

“This is Catarina’s magic, I’d recognise that magical signature anywhere,” Magnus said, standing up. “They used a mixture of your grave dirt, sulphur and magic to send this,” he said, an idea forming. “Alexander?” he asked when Alec disappeared, running towards the house in a blur. 

 

Magnus took a moment to inspect his hand while Alec was gone, wondering if Alec had come to the same conclusion as him. His hand was fine now, nothing that he hadn’t been able to take care of with his magic - with Alec’s help. The blast had made him realise that he needed to think before he acted, however.

 

Magnus also thought about being  _ Encanto’d _ by Alec. It wasn’t a new sensation to him, Camille had done the same thing to him on more than one occasion. With one glaring difference. Camille had only ever done it when he had refused her something, refused to go along with some ridiculous scheme that she had cooked up. Alec had done it to help him, something that he couldn’t find it in him to be angry about. If it had been for any other reason, he probably wouldn’t have been so forgiving. 

 

Alec flitted to Magnus’ side and handed over the two jars that he had run to retrieve, one containing his grave dirt, the other containing a powder that the label on the jar, written out in Magnus’ elegant script, proclaimed to be sulphur. Thankfully, all of Magnus’ jars of potion ingredients were labelled beautifully.

 

Magnus accepted the jars and knelt to scoop up some of the dirt from Simon and Clary’s messages, scanning it once more to work out exactly what Catarina had done to send the message.

 

Alec watched Magnus conjure a bowl and mix the dirt and sulphur together after a few minutes.

 

“What do you want to say?” Magnus asked, holding a handful of the mixture, waiting on Alec’s instructions.

 

“Tell them that the message cut out and about Lilith’s plans,” Alec said, deciding that getting straight to the point was their best option.

 

Magnus did as Alec said, scattering the dirt on the ground and waving his hand to form the message with the mixture. Snapping his fingers, he lit it up with his magic as he worked. Concentrating on his friend, he sent the message to Catarina to explain about Abel and what Lilith had done, and about how they planned to go up against her.

 

“Tell them that we miss them too,” Alec added, watching Magnus work, the words lighting up with the same golden glow that the two previous messages had.

 

Magnus got halfway through Alec’s sentiments before he ran out of the dirt. “They must have run out of grave dirt, that’s why the message cut off,” he said, peering into the empty bowl.

 

“I should have brought a bigger jar with me,” Alec said, pacing up and down next to Magnus, waiting for more.

 

Magnus went and collected their bean bag chairs, dragging them over to sit beside the messages and wait for more. He conjured himself some Chinese takeout and a large glass of blood for Alec, realising that it had been hours since he had eaten anything.

 

It took them an hour of waiting before they realised that there were no more messages coming. Magnus had to set up a ward around the area and promise a frustrated Alec that they would check it before bed, to get his husband to come inside. 

 

Alec gave the message one last look before he let Magnus drag him away for a shower and movie, wishing that Clary and Simon would send something more. He wanted to know what was going on with Izzy’s heavenly fire, badly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo, a lot happened there. It's probably going to take a while for them to get used to their new dynamic. So, who hates me for making Alec Encanto Magnus?


	11. Chapter 11

Alec’s eyes snapped open - the darkness of his and Magnus’ bedroom doing nothing to impede his vision - when a crash resounded through the throne room. 

 

“Magnus, someone is here,” Alec said, shaking Magnus awake as he tried to sit up in bed. Footsteps, a muttered oath, then two loud thuds easily reached him with his enhanced hearing, bringing a low growl from the back of his throat. “Magnus, wake up!” he muttered, shaking Magnus harder.

 

“Five more minutes?” Magnus begged groggily, trying to snuggle into Alec’s cool body once more. “Whaaat? We’ve only been asleep for like two hours,” he muttered when Alec continued to shake him.

 

“There’s someone here and they aren’t exactly being quiet,” Alec said, untangling himself from Magnus and slipping out of the bed. Looking back when he heard the mattress creak slightly, he saw the golden glow of Magnus’ eyes in the pitch black room. “Come on!” he said when the glow disappeared, Magnus, falling asleep again.

 

Flitting to his closet, Alec grabbed a couple of pairs of sweats and pulled one pair on, flinging the others in Magnus’ direction when he emerged from his closet.

 

Magnus dutifully dragged himself out of bed, already missing the cool cushion of Alec’s cold chest to keep the heat at bay. Alec, flitting from the room had him dragging the pants that Alec had thrown at him on and following, albeit at a much slower pace, trying to figure out what was going on. He couldn’t hear a thing. Maybe Alec had been dreaming.

 

“Surely Lilith wouldn’t come back here so soon after we…?” Magnus trailed off when Alec shushed him, emerging into the living room where there was a bit more light to find Alec already had a loaded crossbow in hand, his Vampire pressing a finger to his lips.

 

Alec gestured to the double doors with a flick of his head when he heard the handle turning, his annoyance turning to anger. Lilith making herself at home in the throne room was one thing but entering their loft without so much as a fire message to say that she was dropping by was going too far. Taking up a position in the middle of the living room, across from the front doors, he raised his crossbow and took aim.

 

Alec watched Magnus’ magic spark to life when Magnus came up beside him, his head snapping back to the front doors when the right-hand door opened. Without a moment’s hesitation, he pulled the trigger on his crossbow, aiming for whoever had the nerve to enter their home uninvited.

 

Magnus sent a bolt of magic as a chaser to Alec’s crossbow bolt. The irritated huff Alec let out had him snapping his fingers to turn the lamps on, his confusion deepening when he heard a muffled yell. It sounded like…

 

“What the hell, guys? It's only me,” Simon yelled, reaching up to see if he still had an ear. Magnus’ spell had missed him by a quarter inch. 

 

“What the fuck?” Alec growled, staring at his sire. There. In Edom.  _ How? And why? _ “Simon, what are you doing here? We could have killed you!” he muttered furiously, imagining his sister’s face if he had to ever tell her that he had killed her new boytoy because he had snuck into their house in the middle of the night.

 

“Hey! I’ve been working on my reaction times. See?” Simon asked with a grin, holding Alec’s arrow up. “I caught your arrow, which was totally cool, by the way. I just snatched it out of the air like a ninja. I wish Fray was here to see it, she won’t believe me…”

 

“It’s a bolt. And what are you doing here? No, how are you here?” Alec asked, scrubbing his hands over his face, scrabbling for patience already. 

 

“What Alexander means is… what  _ are _ you doing here, Simon?” Magnus asked, patting his husband on the shoulder when Alec looked like he was going to beat Simon around the head. “Not that we aren’t pleased to see a familiar face but it is the middle of the night. And we are in hell, sooo…?”

 

“Sorry, sorry. I uh… I came to bring some more grave dirt. And I also realise that maybe I should have like, knocked first. Or sent a carrier demon,” Simon joked, scratching at the back of his neck, finally taking in Alec and Magnus’ appearance as he closed the loft doors behind him. Before he realised that they were the loft doors. “Woah,” he muttered, gawping around himself, practically rubbing his eyes. This was unexpected.

 

“A carrier demon?” Alec asked, his eyes flicking to Magnus for an explanation, taking a deep breath when Magnus just shook his head.

 

“Come in, Simon,” Magnus said before turning for the kitchen, leaving Alec and Simon to follow him. He had a feeling he was going to need a vat of coffee for Simon’s explanation. 

 

“Is anyone else here with you?” Alec asked when Simon came into the living room alone, also turning for the kitchen when Simon shook his head. Accepting the long sleeve shirt that Magnus handed him, he shrugged it on, noting that Magnus’ hair and makeup were done and Magnus was wearing a black silk robe and pyjama pants combo.

 

“No, it’s just me. The others are a little tied up at the moment so I volunteered to come,” Simon said, following Alec into the kitchen, his eyes almost boggling out of his head when he looked around. It was like he had stepped into an alternate universe, everything was exactly the same as Magnus’ loft in Brooklyn. “Twilight zone!” he muttered.

 

Magnus took a couple of baggies from the crisper drawer in the fridge and flicked the coffee pot on before nuking the blood for Alec and Simon, hoping that the others hadn’t gotten themselves hurt.

 

“What do you mean, “tied up”?” Alec asked, worry flaring up. He accepted the glass of blood Magnus handed him but was unable to sit, his agitation making him pace instead.

 

“Hey, you have blood! Thanks,” Simon said, shrugging his backpack off and taking the glass of blood Magnus handed him, along with the bar stool next to Magnus’ at the kitchen island. The blood actually tasted fresh. “This isn’t bad. Your Mom was worrying that you’d go all Vlad the Impaler and start chowing down on Magnus…” he cut off when Alec turned on him.

 

“Just... start at the beginning, Simon,” Magnus said, restraining Alec with a firm hand to Alec’s shoulder when he saw the promise of violence in his husband’s eyes. Pouring himself a cup of coffee when Alec calmed slightly, he waved a finger, adding milk to it, waiting for an explanation and leaving Alec to his pacing.

 

“Okay, we went to the Seelie court, to catch Jonathan but he escaped. Well, the others did, I wasn’t allowed to go,” Simon said, rolling his eyes. “Jace said they didn’t have enough Shadowhunters spare to protect me and hunt for Jonathan at the same time. Not that I needed a Shadowhunter to protect me,” he muttered. 

 

“Simon!” Alec barked, an inch from flitting across the kitchen and grabbing Simon by the throat. It had taken him long enough to fall asleep, too worried about his sister and the Heavenly Fire. Magnus had checked the wards around the grave dirt message three times before he had let sleep claim him and he wasn’t in the mood to wait for Simon to finish rambling about how unfairly Jace treated him.

 

“Sorry! Okay… so they left me behind. Jonathan got away but not before Izzy confronted him with her Heavenly Fire,” Simon said, a proud grin spreading over his face as he sipped his blood.

 

“What happened? Is she okay? Did it flare out?” Alec asked. Worry for his sister had him almost tripping over the words to get his questions out. His eyes flicked to Magnus when his husband took hold of his hand, calming him slightly. He squeezed Magnus’ hand, thanking the angel for Magnus’ calming presence.

 

“She’s okay, something unexpected happened though. It just burst out of her hands when Jonathan came at her. I mean, that was expected, because you know, part demon. He managed to get away though, took off with his big black wings,” Simon said, his eyes flicking between Magnus and Alec. Not fangirling over the couple, at all.

 

“But?” Magnus asked, hearing the word at the end of Simon’s sentence, wishing Simon would focus a little.

 

“But, Jace and Clary were standing right next to her when it happened and they kind of… absorbed some of the Heavenly Fire,” Simon said.

 

“What do you mean, they absorbed it?” Magnus asked, beating Alec to the question, rubbing his thumb over the back of Alec’s hand when he saw Alec’s worry deepen. “Are they okay?” he asked.

 

“Yeah, actually, they’re fine,” Simon assured the couple, realising that he should probably have started with the reassurances. “Izzy thinks it has something to do with their angel blood. Underhill was with them, standing nearby and got hit with it too. He’s okay now, they summoned Lorenzo to the Institute to heal him but it was touch and go for a minute.”

 

“I’ll bet Lorenzo just loved getting summoned to the Institute to help a Shadowhunter out,” Magnus said, rolling his eyes at the thought. Pouring himself another coffee when he drained his cup, he raised an eyebrow when he saw a smirk flit across Alec’s face.

 

“I forgot to tell you, Lorenzo and Andrew seem to have a thing for each other,” Alec said, recalling the shared looks and the gossip that had been whispered through the Institute, that Lorenzo had handed Andrew his number.

 

“Yeah, Lorenzo was really worried actually. He portalled straight there and refused to leave Underhill’s side,” Simon said, shrugging when Alec and Magnus both stared at him. “Lorenzo worked some serious magic, refusing to let anyone near Underhill until he was fully healed from the burns he received,” he said.

 

“Ha, all the times Lorenzo looked down his nose at the Shadowhunters and now he’s gone and landed himself one,” Magnus said, ignoring the fact that he had been the same before Alec had come along. 

 

“So Underhill is okay?” Alec asked.

 

“Sure, last I heard, he and Lorenzo were setting up a date. Not their first, apparently,” Simon grinned.

 

“And Jace and Clary? What about them, are they okay?” Alec asked, worrying for his and his sister’s Parabatai.

 

“Yeah, that was the weird thing. They were absolutely fine, not even a blister. Like I said, Izzy thinks it has something to do with their pure angel blood. They returned from the mission and Izzy took some samples of Clary and Jace’s blood. She was running tests, seeing how it reacted to the Heavenly Fire when I left,” Simon said.

 

“So none of them are hurt?” Alec asked, relaxing a little when Simon nodded his confirmation that everyone was okay.

 

“What outcome is Isabelle looking for?” Magnus asked, intrigued by this Heavenly Fire. Not that he was any happier than Alec that his sister-in-law had been infected by the Morgenstern’s miserable sword. Alec had been so worried when he had explained what had been going on in the mortal realm while he had been away.

 

“She wants to see how it reacts to their blood first but if her experiments go how she thinks they will, she plans to inject more Shadowhunters with a concentrated version of Clary and Jace’s blood. Izzy thinks she can share her ability and maybe dilute it a bit, spread it around so she doesn’t have so much,” Simon said, practically mooning over his girlfriend. Izzy was hot and smart, a rare and perfect combination.

 

“Dilute it?” Alec asked, mentally scratching his balls. “How? What do you mean?” he asked when Magnus shrugged once more. Simon made no sense. 

 

“After Clary and Jace absorbed the Heavenly Fire, they were able to do what Izzy did too,” Simon said, recalling the training session Clary and Jace engaged in after they got back from the court. “It sucks because now Clary and Jace can’t come near me either, but they can do the whole “fire bursting from their hands” thing too. So that’s something, I guess?” he said with a tight smile. 

 

“And Izzy said that her own Heavenly Fire wasn’t as potent after she got rid of some of it. We even managed to kiss again. It was awesome. Until her power flared up again. But it didn’t take so long this time,” Simon said brightly, completely unaware of the grimace on Alec’s face. He couldn’t wait to see if Izzy’s experiment worked, hoping for a half decent make out session, at the very least.

 

“So they will have something to fight Jonathan with at least,” Magnus mused, refilling Alec and Simon’s glasses while he sipped his own coffee. He thought through the ramifications of what the experiment would mean if it was successful, not just for the Shadowhunters but the entire Shadow World. Maybe this wasn’t the best plan. 

 

“Who are they planning on experimenting with?” Alec asked, an uneasiness sitting in the pit of his stomach. His earlier conversation with Magnus, about Valentine, sprang to mind. Valentine had been a fan of conducting experiments using blood too.

 

“Jace suggested that they bring Raj back from Wrangel Island but Izzy said they wouldn’t get the clearance,” Simon said, grinning when Alec rolled his eyes.

 

“Should they be messing with this? I mean, Valentine started out doing the same thing,” Alec said, unable to stop himself from voicing his fears. “I know none of our friends would turn into crazy dictator assholes but…” he trailed off, leaving the obviousness of his statement hanging in the air as he slumped onto a stool.

 

“They aren’t Valentine,” Magnus said, resting a hand on Alec’s shoulder, rubbing small circles into his husband’s shoulder to soothe him.

 

“Everyone who is getting the injection has volunteered. Jace called a meeting for the whole Institute and explained Izzy’s theory, they asked for volunteers. Nobody is being forced into it,” Simon assured Alec.

 

“Who volunteered?” Alec asked, thinking of who was at the Institute when he left and which of his former Shadowhunters would volunteer for something like this.

 

“Most of the Institute. Luke, Underhill, Aline was sent by Jia to make Jace Head of the Institute so she threw her hat into the ring. Helen came with her. She wanted to volunteer too but Izzy said she won’t let her until she’s run some tests on Helen’s blood. She thinks it might be too volatile with Helen’s half Seelie blood. Maryse...” Simon rattled off.

 

“My mom?” Alec choked out, staring at Simon. “How the hell is my mom gonna take the Heavenly Fire? She’s a mundane,” he said, his hands once more finding their way into his hair.  _ I haven’t been here a week and the place has gone to shit already,  _ he thought.

 

“Maryse had Luke send Jia a request to get her runes back until Jonathan has been dealt with,” Simon said delicately. 

 

“Jia knows about this?” Alec asked, his head snapping up to look at Simon. He didn’t miss Magnus’ raised eyebrows. “What does she have to say about them experimenting with the Heavenly Fire?” he asked when Simon nodded.

 

“She sanctioned it. Jace and Clary wanted to conduct the experiments first then go to Jia but Aline refused to let them so they sent Jia a fire message and she gave them the go ahead. I mean, they probably would have done it anyway but she said yes. She refused Maryse’ request though,” Simon said with a shrug. 

 

“Any excuse to make the Shadowhunters more powerful is undoubtedly fine with Jia Penhallow,” Magnus said, rolling his eyes. He understood the need for them to have an effective weapon whilst dealing with Jonathan but that didn’t mean that he liked the Shadowhunters having more power than they already had. Alec hadn't changed him that much. 

 

“What does the Downworld have to say about this plan that my brother and sister-in-law have cooked up?” Magnus asked, elaborating when Simon just looked at him, confusion written all over the Vampire’s face. “Come now, they can’t be happy with the idea of a handful of Shadowhunters running around with the ability to kill them with a touch?” he asked.

 

“We haven’t told them,” Simon said, once more scratching at the back of his neck.

 

“Simon, you’re not doing yourself any favours by keeping this from them,” Magnus said, unable to keep the exasperation from his voice.

 

“What? The Vampires already hate me, the wolves too. You know what will happen if… wait, did you just say your brother and sister-in-law?” Simon asked, Magnus’ words registering, his eyes flicking from Magnus to Alec. 

 

“We got married,” Alec said, a smile playing at the corner of his lips when Simon’s mouth flopped open. “Meet my husband, Magnus Lightwood-Bane,” he said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder in Magnus’ direction, ecstatic that he had someone to introduce Magnus as his husband to. Even if it was just Simon. The world might be going to shit but at least he and Magnus were married.

 

“My husband, Alexander Lightwood-Bane,” Magnus said with a beaming smile, interlocking their fingers on Alec’s shoulder when Alec reached up and took his hand.

 

“Married? Congratulations, you guys! I’m stoked for you,” Simon yelled, internally screaming as he flung himself on Alec and pulled Magnus into a sandwiching hug, Alec the filling. He ignored Alec’s growled protests to slap Magnus on the back. 

 

“Back off, before I set my mark on you,” Alec said, elbowing Simon off of him, his eyebrows mashed down into one thin line.

 

“Your mom is gonna be pissed!” Simon said with a huge grin, flopping back down into his seat when Alec pushed him off. He didn’t mind. “Wait until she finds out that you got married without her!” he chuckled, watching Alec squirm for a minute.

 

“Well, she isn’t gonna find out from you. Keep your mouth shut until I’ve sent her a grave dirt message,” Alec threatened, thanking the angel that there was a realm between him and his mom.

 

“You’re kidding, right? I’d rather give up my Daylighter powers than be the one to tell Maryse Lightwood that she wasn’t invited to her own son’s wedding,” Simon snorted, his eyes flicking to Alec when Alec groaned. 

 

“Keep it to yourself, for now. We will tell her when we’ve dealt with Lilith,” Magnus said, wrapping his arms around Alec’s shoulders, pressing a kiss to Alec’s neck. He didn’t relish telling his mother-in-law that she was indeed his mother-in-law, any more than Alec did. Not by grave dirt message anyway. At least she couldn’t murder them while they were here in Edom. Who knew that their banishment was a blessing?

 

“What’s happening with Lilith anyway? We got half of your message but then it cut off,” Simon asked.

 

“Finish your story and we’ll tell you ours,” Magnus said, knowing that there was more to it.

 

“Okay, so everyone is ready for their injections when Izzy is done with her formula. They plan to corner Jonathan and take him out with it, hopefully with as many Shadowhunters as possible. Clary and I left Izzy to finish her experiments and went to Catarina to see if she knew how to use the grave dirt to contact you so we could keep you updated,” Simon continued.

 

“What did Lorenzo have to say about it? Has he lifted the ban on any Warlocks helping me or did you sneak around behind his back?” Magnus asked, trying to keep the derision out of his tone. He still hadn’t forgiven Lorenzo for the last month or so. Even if he had gotten his revenge.

 

“I had to point out that we would just keep going to him to help us contact you, ask for portals, bother him with family stuff. He relented, said that Catarina could help us as long as we left him alone and didn’t do anything too stupid. He wants reports but pretty much left us to it,” Simon grinned. Lorenzo had been too busy with Underhill’s recovery to want to be bothered.

 

“And Catarina came up with the grave dirt message idea?” Alec asked.

 

“Yup. She helped Clary and I send the messages and made me a portal to bring more dirt. It runs out pretty quickly. Luckily, you were buried right next to the Institute so we have unlimited access to it. Until it runs out. But we needed a way to contact you. She said you’d be able to portal me back topside, Magnus?” Simon asked, hoping that she had been correct and that he wasn’t stuck there.

 

“Yes, my father wasn’t able to just portal in and out on his own because he was banished here. I imposed my own exile so I’m free to come and go as I like. I can’t, because of the rift, but I am able,” Magnus said, reassuring Simon that he wasn’t doomed to Edom for an eternity. 

 

“Cool, cool. Clary and Jace had to stay so Izzy could keep taking their blood, Luke is a Shadowhunter now, Maryse and Raphael are mundanes and Cat had to stay for Madzie, so I was the only one available to come,” Simon said, hiding his relief poorly. “So, what’s been happening with Lilith?” he asked.

 

Alec and Magnus explained what had happened since Magnus’ and then Alec’s arrival, about Cain and Abel, the confrontation that they’d had with her, and their discovery of Lilith’s plans, between them. Magnus kept the blood and coffee coming until they were done.

 

“What’s the plan? What are we doing about her and her zombie minions?” Simon asked, whistling lowly at the story that Alec and Magnus had to tell, folding his arms across his chest and raising an eyebrow at Alec when the former Shadowhunter started shaking his head. 

 

“Absolutely not. You don’t have your mark anymore, Simon,” Alec pointed out, flat out refusing to let Simon get caught up in Lilith’s plans. Izzy would find a way into Edom to murder him, closely followed by Clary. That was a headache that he didn’t need right then.

 

“It’s my fault he’s here in the first place. Poor guy. He just kept puppet Abel around?” Simon asked, ignoring Alec’s ‘hand on his hip, gesticulating wildly’ combo, feeling awful when Magnus nodded. “If it wasn’t for me, he could have been left in peace. You have to let me help him,” he said beseechingly. 

 

“Simon, she might not be at full power but she is still dangerous,” Magnus said, exchanging a look with Alec. “She is sneaky and vindictive, she would think nothing of simply killing you to get you out of the way,” he said, pursing his lips when Simon set his shoulders.

 

“You guys need help. You can’t do it all by yourselves, not if she has an army,” Simon pointed out. “What is your plan anyway? Just turn up and ask her to step outside?” he asked.

 

“We haven’t discussed a plan yet but it would be better if we could get Cain away from her before we go up against her,” Alec said, still shaking his head. He could see the cogs turning in Simon’s brain. 

 

“See, I can help. I can go in there and talk to him, explain that we are there to help,” Simon said, already going through a plan in his head. “She will be expecting the two of you, I’ll have the element of surprise,” he said, practically daring the two of them to try and overturn his logic.

 

“You don’t even know where she’s keeping him. Hell, we don’t even know where Lilith lives. Cain could be locked away in a basement or a tower somewhere. How do you plan on rescuing him?” Alec asked, annoyance clouding his tone.

 

“I’ll use Vamp speed and silence to get by her,” Simon said stubbornly. “She is bound to have wards against the two of you. She would probably know it the minute either of you stepped into her lair. I can sneak in, reconnoitre, maybe even persuade Cain to come with me if I find him. I’ll get us the information we need to go up against her,” he said.

 

“Plus, I already know where she lives. I passed it on my way here. I’m assuming it’s the huge, creepy, Dracula looking castle?” Simon asked, grinning when Alec and Magnus’ eyebrows shot up. He had considered stopping there when he had passed the castle but the scarf, that Catarina had given him to track Magnus with, had led him past it. 

 

Magnus exchanged looks with Alec, raising an eyebrow. Simon had already gotten more information on Lilith, in the few hours that he had been in the realm, than either he or his husband had.

 

“Come on, I’ll be fine, I’ve got this. I won’t let you down!” Simon said earnestly, looking from Magnus to Alec.

 

“Do you want Clary and Izzy to kill us before or after Lilith finds and tortures you?” Alec asked, looking pleadingly at his husband for some backup. He didn’t like the expression he found there when he met Magnus’ gaze. “No,” he said to Magnus, seeing that his husband was about to cave.

 

“He does have a point about Lilith’s wards. She probably set them up as soon as she left here. And he knows where he is going,” Magnus conceded, seeing that maybe Simon could be helpful. As long as the Vampire didn’t mess up.

 

“I’ll be in and out, she won’t even know I’m there. Until she finds Cain gone, anyway,” Simon said, smiling brightly when Alec groaned after having what looked like a silent but furious conversation with Magnus. Alec’s eyebrows were really expressive!

 

“Fine. Do I need to tell you not to take any unnecessary risks?” Alec asked, scrubbing his hands through his hair, wondering if Simon even knew what constituted an unnecessary risk.

 

“Stop worrying, I helped get to the Heavenly Fire in the first place, didn’t I?” Simon pointed out. 

 

“And look how that turned out,” Alec muttered, not placated in the slightest. 

 

“We can come up with a plan after we have all gotten some sleep then,” Magnus said, the lack of sleep catching up to him. 

 

“Okay. Oh, Izzy asked me to bring some things for you, by the way,” Simon said, reaching down to grab his backpack, emptying the contents out onto the island. 

 

Alec rifled through the contents, smiling when he saw that it was mostly weapons, some volatile looking potions for Magnus, one of Magnus’ favourite scarves, a couple of photos and letters.

 

“I left the grave dirt in the room with the fancy chairs too,” Simon said, leading the two of them out into the room he had come through to pick up the two large kegs of dirt that he had brought with him.

 

Alec stored the two kegs in his training room while Magnus sorted out a spare room for Simon, taking a deep breath before asking the question that he had wanted to ask since Simon had arrived.

 

“How is everyone really doing? Do they still think I’m coming home or have they accepted it?” Alec asked, his stomach fluttering. Half of him wanted his family to move on, to accept that he was staying in Edom now. The other half missed them. This was already the longest that he had ever been without his brother and sister.

 

“You want the truth?” Simon asked, gripping Alec’s shoulder when he saw the slump in them. “Everyone is convinced that they will find a way to bring you and Magnus home. Your mom refuses to admit that you live here now, she is insisting that you’re on an extended vacation. Jace is trying, and failing, to hide the fact that he misses you. Clary is worried about Jace and Izzy is worried about all of them. She misses you,” he said with a tight smile.

 

“I miss her too. I’m guessing Izzy is the one holding them all together?” Alec asked. Jace might be good at putting on a front but Izzy knew Jace just as well as she knew him. She would be the glue.

 

Simon nodded, giving Alec’s shoulder a squeeze before Magnus came to show him to his room. 

 

Alec let one deep sigh escape him before leaving his training room and heading for his and Magnus’ bedroom. Simon had brought a decent amount of grave dirt but it wasn’t the same as talking to his family in person, seeing that they were okay with his own eyes. And it would run out at some point. 

 

“I’m sorry that you can't be with your family at a time like this,” Magnus said, leaning in the doorway of their bedroom, seeing Alec sitting on their bed. He crossed the room when Alec looked up, pulling his pyjamas off and climbing into bed.

 

“They are our family,” Alec said, removing his own sweats and shirt, and sliding into the bed with Magnus. “And it’s okay, they will manage without me. They are trained to handle Jonathan,” he said, wrapping his arm around Magnus’ shoulder.

 

“Sure they are. That doesn’t stop you worrying about them though,” Magnus said, laying his head on Alec’s chest, entwining their legs under the sheets until he was fully snuggled into Alec’s cool body. 

 

“Simon was right, you know? About the portal. You can visit them whenever you like now that Cat is allowed to help us. As long as I create the portals in controlled environments where I can make sure that nothing can get through,” Magnus said swirling his finger through Alec’s chest hair. 

 

“What, and leave you here on your own? Not gonna happen, I’m never leaving you again,” Alec said, stilling Magnus’ fingers, brushing the tip of his finger over the smooth black polish on Magnus’ fingernail. “It isn’t like you can just come and go whenever you feel like it. You are stuck here, Magnus. I’m staying.”

 

“Just think about it, Alexander. They are only a portal away now. You don’t have to live without them for the remainder of their years,” Magnus said as gently as possible, not wanting to upset his husband but still wanting to get the words out. “You should be there with them, not stuck here.”

 

“Hey, I’m exactly where I’m meant to be,” Alec said, pulling back slightly to look down at Magnus.

 

“In Edom?” Magnus snorted, feeling guilty that Alec wasn’t able to help his family out.

 

“With you. Wherever you are is where I’m meant to be,” Alec said, his fingers running up and down Magnus’ arm, watching goosebumps rise up on Magnus’ skin.

 

“Alec romantic Lightwood-Bane,” Magnus chuckled, pressing a kiss to Alec’s chest, the hairs there tickling his nose. 

 

“Romantic, huh?” Alec asked, letting his fingers trail down Magnus’ arm, aiming for the smooth skin on Magnus’ hip.

 

“Uh uh, Simon’s here,” Magnus said, catching Alec’s hand when it tried to move lower. He could already feel Alec’s dick twitching against his thigh where it was buried between Alec’s legs.

 

“So?” Alec asked, his free hand finding Magnus’ hip, pulling his husband closer. “Simon isn’t Madzie,” he whispered, his thumb sweeping over Magnus’ skin, his lips finding their way down Magnus’ neck.

 

“Do I have to remind you how we get?” Magnus asked, rolling his eyes when his words came out a little more breathlessly than he had intended them to. “Do you really want Simon hearing our noises?” he asked, stopping Alec’s lips in their tracks. 

 

Alec groaned into Magnus’ neck when he heard Simon chuckle from the other side of the loft. Simon had been humming, loudly, obviously trying not to listen in. 

 

_ “Dude, he’s got a point,”  _ floated through the loft to reach Alec. Only making him groan louder. Simon had only been there a couple of hours and was already cockblocking him.

 

Magnus couldn’t help but laugh when Alec’s lips sought his neck out again, exaggeratedly slow, as though Alec was trying to be as quiet as possible. It wouldn’t work, neither of them was ever quiet when it came to fucking.

 

_ “I can put earplugs in if you want?”  _ Reached Alec, stopping his lips once more. He almost strained an eyeball rolling it.

 

“Go to sleep, Simon,” Alec grumbled, accepting the fact that they weren’t getting any tonight.

 

“Down boy,” Magnus whisper-giggled, settling into Alec’s chest, relishing the cool skin pressed against his own. He couldn’t hear whatever it was Alec was listening to but he could practically feel the disappointment, rolling off of Alec in waves. “I love you,” he chuckled, almost as disappointed as Alec was.

 

“I love you too,” Alec said, pretty sure he heard an,  _ “aw”, _ from the direction of Simon’s room. He fell asleep to dreams of dropping Simon off at the nearest exit portal when Magnus’ breathing turned regular and even against his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooo, that was a lot of info in one go. Yay for Simon though, even if he is a cockblock. lol. Does it occur to anyone else that Cat and Madzie, as long as they stay in the loft, could come and visit Magnus and Alec in Edom? It would be like their own little vacation spot.


	12. Chapter 12

Magnus stood in the doorway of his potion room, watching Alec work, Alec’s long fingers shaping arrow shafts from the yew wood that he had conjured. He knew by the set of Alec’s shoulders that he was worried.

 

“You know you can’t really do that anymore, don’t you?” Alec asked, his eyes flicking up to the three tipped arrow that he was replicating. Deciding that it was as close as he was going to get, he grabbed a sheet of sandpaper.

 

“Do what?” Magnus asked, stepping into the room, making his way over to the back to back workbenches that were now in there to take a seat on his own side of the benches.

 

“Watch me from doorways. I can hear you coming,” Alec said, smiling when he looked up at Magnus, sitting across from him

 

“You’re telling me that I can’t watch my husband create a masterpiece?” Magnus asked, picking up an iron arrowhead, spinning it between his fingers. 

 

“You can’t sneak up on me,” Alec replied, sanding down the shafts, smoothing any nicks out of the wood. “These aren’t as good as Izzy’s but they are the best I can do,” he said, looking down at the three shafts. They would have been better if they were made of aluminum or even steel but a blacksmith he wasn’t. 

 

Magnus raised an eyebrow in question when Alec looked up.

 

“The original arrows are made from aluminum. These will shatter more easily but are easier to work with. I just wish I could strengthen them somehow,” Alec said, picking up a hacksaw to create a nock at the end of each shaft.

 

“Maybe I can come up with something,” Magnus said, sweeping the pile of arrowheads into his hand and dumping them into a tabletop cauldron. “Might as well make them as effective as possible,” he said when Alec frowned. 

 

“He’ll be okay,” Magnus said when Alec went back to splitting his arrow shafts. Spinning the ingredient rack on his bench, he started pulling jars out of it, his nose crinkling with distaste as his fingers hovered over a jar of arsenic. It wasn’t his favourite ingredient but it worked just as well against demons as it did against humans, so why not?

 

“This is Simon we’re talking about,” Alec sighed, putting his tools down to watch Magnus start throwing ingredients into his pot, his eyebrow rising when he saw that Magnus was wearing thick gloves. Magnus never wore gloves, unless he was working with something really dangerous.

 

“Have a little faith, he’s capable of more than you think,” Magnus said, rolling his eyes at his husband. “I’ve spent more time with him than you. Sure, he talks a lot but he is loyal and smart. And he is resourceful enough to find a way past Lilith. That’s worth listening to his nervous rambling,” he said. 

 

“You never had to listen to the story about how he and Clary were engaged to each other as kids,” Alec muttered, setting the shafts into a clamp. Grabbing a handful of dark blue, pre-split shield feathers and a tube of strong glue, he set to work fletching the arrows. 

 

“Believe me, I’ve heard the story. More than once,” Magnus chuckled, his eyes flicking up to watch Alec’s tongue flit over his bottom lip, thinking that Alec looked far too cute when he was concentrating. 

 

Shaking himself off, Magnus took up a glass stirrer and set to mixing his concoction. Snapping his fingers, he heated the mixture up gently, carefully measuring the amount of heat he applied to the volatile mixture.

 

“What if he gets hurt? Or caught?” Alec asked, setting a feather into a helix clamp and applying glue to it to press the feather to one of the shafts. It had been a long time since he had worked with wooden arrows, these were a mixture of traditional techniques and new. 

 

“Careful, Alexander, you’re in danger of sounding like you care,” Magnus said, unable to help the smirk that tugged at his lips when Alec rolled his eyes.

 

“I don’t hate the guy, Magnus. Actually, Izzy could do a lot worse. She has done a lot worse. As you said, he’s loyal and he has done a lot for me, for us,” Alec said, reaching for the next feather. “Anyway, she will kill us if anything happens to him,” he said.

 

“Uhuh,” Magnus muttered, not fooled for a minute by Alec’s blasé attitude. He knew when Alec was worried. 

 

Magnus took the heat away from his potion when it was complete, using his magic to lift the arrowheads from the cauldron. Snapping his fingers, he produced a wire rack and set them down before magically curing them. 

 

“They are safe to touch,” Magnus said, picking one up to inspect it and sliding the rack across the benches so Alec could use them. The arrowhead had a soft luminous green glow to it, harmless to the touch but deadly when it came into contact with the bloodstream.

 

Alec turned the clamps around and picked his hacksaw up once more, splitting the tips of the arrows so he could set the arrowheads in place. He inspected the arrowheads when the shafts of the arrows were prepped, finding that they were still solid, perfectly intact, trying to take his mind off of Simon’s mission. It wasn’t working.

“Maybe we should just…?” Alec started before Magnus cut him off.

 

“Stop worrying, Alexander. He has a plan, we’ll only fuck it up if we show up,” Magnus said, watching Alec set the arrowheads in place in the shafts.

 

“Fine, we’ll leave him to it. As long as  _ he _ doesn’t fuck it up,” Alec sighed. 

 

Alec handed the arrows over to Magnus when the arrowheads were set in place, watching his husband start carving spells and symbols into the shafts with a small carving knife, trying not to think of all the ways Simon could fuck up. 

 

**

 

Simon crept down one of many dingy hallways in Lilith’s castle, using every heightened sense that he possessed not to fuck up and draw Lilith’s attention. He thanked the angel, almost out loud, for his perfect night vision. No goggles required.

 

Simon had come up with a plan, with Magnus and Alec, that was rather simple. Portal as close to the castle as possible without setting any wards off that Lilith might have in place, look around without getting caught, and if possible, find Cain and convince him to escape.

 

“Easier said than done,” Simon muttered to himself, plastering himself to a wall when he reached an intersection of hallways on the fifth floor. As cautiously as he could, he peeked around the corner, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw that the next hallway was empty.

 

The castle was huge. And creepy. No electricity here, just sconces on the walls that bounced Simon’s shadow back to him and almost restarted his heart every couple of minutes. He hadn’t seen much of anything yet. A load of dusty empty rooms in the lower levels, silence filling the maze of corridors.

 

But the higher Simon had climbed through the castle, the more activity he had heard. Every sound was unnerving, each echo through the halls convincing him that he was about to get caught and strung up by one of Lilith’s minions.

 

Simon was halfway down the hallway when the sound of approaching footsteps caught him off guard. Panic set in for a moment, his eyes darting around, looking for an escape. Putting on a burst of speed when he saw a doorway, a little further up the corridor, he dashed towards it, stupidly running  _ towards  _ the sounds.

 

Of course, the door would be locked. But that was nothing that Simon’s superior strength couldn’t take care of. Gripping the handle tightly, he pushed with all of his strength, eyes darting back up the hallway as the footsteps grew louder, and forced the door open. The sound of groaning metal made him want to kick himself in the balls for how loud it was but the door was open with one shove.

 

With barely a few seconds to spare, Simon dashed into the room, just about having the presence of mind not to slam the door closed after him, praying that the room wasn’t locked because someone was in there. Pushing the door closed as gently as he could, he pressed his ear to the wood, his stomach bouncing when he heard whoever it was pause outside the room. Before they thankfully moved on. 

 

Luckily for Simon, the room was empty. It looked like some sort of chamber of horrors but it was empty, he realised when he looked around. The room was even creepier than the rest of the castle if that was possible. Mostly because there was one small window in the far wall with bars on it that let an eerie orange glow fill up a small portion of the room, the rest of it left to shadows. 

 

A single bed, made of iron, that looked more like a cage than anything else stood in one corner of the room. A closet with the doors ripped off built into one wall and a chest of drawers against another. The drawers and the closet doors had long scratches, that looked suspiciously like claw marks made by human hands, gouged into them, only freaking Simon out more. 

 

But those couldn’t hold Simon’s attention for long. What did capture his attention was the pictures on the walls. Hand-drawn with what looked like charcoal. His eyes widened as he moved around the dingy, unkempt room, staring at drawing after drawing. Most of them were of Clary. 

 

There were some that looked like crude child's depictions of his best friend, pictures that Simon still recognised as Clary. He had spent enough time with Clary to recognise any picture of her. Most of the drawings, however, were better, as though the artist had improved over the years, perfect life-like depictions that captured Clary’s eyes or lips, or her high cheekbones perfectly. 

 

The gallery of creepiness was also interspersed with drawings of a man that looked a lot like Valentine, a boy that could have been Jace and a few that looked vaguely like Joselyn. Those were even creepier than the pictures of Clary. Each drawing depicted Valentine, Jace and Joselyn with demonic eyes, every one of them scratched out, as though the artist wanted to erase the subjects of the pictures. 

 

“This was Jonathan’s room,” Simon muttered, a shiver running down his spine. It seemed that Clary’s brother had also inherited Joselyn’s artistic talent. Jonathan had certainly gotten enough practice in. Every wall was littered with them. 

 

_ No wonder he’s so fucked up,  _ Simon thought, picking the ragged, musty blanket up off of the cage bed, wondering if maybe it could be used to track Jonathan when he returned topside. 

 

Simon let out a full-on squeal -that he would deny till his second dying day- when something skittered out from under the blanket. He jumped backwards, clear across the room, with a hiss. The creature looked like a bald rat with six legs and large teeth, the size of a small chihuahua, with mottled gray and pink skin. And it was heading straight for him.

 

Deciding that he had enough of a tour of Jonathan’s bedroom, Simon kicked out at the creature before dashing back out of the door and closing it behind him as best as he could. Luckily, he hadn’t heard any sounds coming from the corridor outside. Which was empty.  

 

Simon jumped when a thud hit the door behind him, positive that he would be having a heart attack if his heart still worked. The sound of vicious snarling and scratching at the door had him leaving the room behind, quickening his pace up the corridor in case the creature found a way through the wood.

 

Pausing at the corner of the corridor, Simon shrugged his backpack off and stuffed Jonathan’s mouldy blanket into it, checking that the bottles of blood that he had brought for Cain were still intact while he was there.

 

That wasn’t all Simon had brought. Alec had insisted that he bring weapons with him, just in case. Magnus had given him a load of round bottles, filled with a volatile mixture of ingredients that would explode upon impact. The thigh holster that was wrapped around his leg was totally badass, something that he was definitely keeping. It had a couple of daggers stuffed into the sheaths and he had a quiver of arrows hanging from his right hip. 

 

The expression on Alec’s face had been hilarious when Simon had explained that he was good with a bow. It had only gotten better when Alec had demanded a demonstration. He had sunk twenty arrows into Alec’s targets before Alec was convinced that his perfect shot hadn’t been a fluke. Thank the angel for summer camp. The recurve bow that Alec had lent him was strapped to his backpack, ready for if he needed it.

 

Simon climbed two more floors, occasionally having to hide in unlocked rooms whenever he had heard someone coming before he found a promising looking corridor. All of the doors in the narrow hallway looked like medieval cell doors. Wood with bars across the top of each door.

 

Simon had to stand on his tiptoes to peek through the bars. Most of the rooms were empty. 

 

Most of them. 

 

He almost shit his pants when he looked into the fifth one, expecting it to be empty, and found a demon, roughly humanoid shaped, its body bent at odd angles and covered in Ichor, clinging to the wall opposite him. 

 

Simon hit the wall behind him hard when the demon jumped at the door, a snarl ripping from its throat. The arm that reached for him through the bars had him sidestepping to get away, wishing the thing would shut up. It was bound to call attention to them.

 

The second and the third time the same thing happened had Simon seriously considering just turning around and going home. His still heart and churning gut couldn’t take it. The second demon had been huge, bat-like wings carrying it forward towards the door. The third had looked like some sort of leprechaun with razorlike claws and teeth. 

 

They would make interesting characters in a graphic novel but Simon had no desire to get any closer to them in real life. Thankfully, the second to last cell in the corridor was what he had been searching for.

 

“Cain?” Simon called softly, staring through the bars at the Vampire, Cain lying on a slab of stone that he supposed was meant to be a bed. Dismay shot through him when he saw how unkempt Cain looked, hair and clothes filthy, pale and thirsty. Cain looked like shit. 

 

“Simon Lewis? What are you doing here?” Cain asked -his voice croaky from disuse- when he looked up at the sound of his name, to see Simon peering through the bars of his cell.

 

“I’ve come to get you out of here,” Simon said, nodding encouragingly when Cain sat up. 

 

“Go home, Simon. I am where I’m meant to be,” Cain said over the din his neighbours were making, unable to meet the other Vampire’s gaze.

 

“In this rat hole cell with this lot?” Simon asked incredulously, staring around the small, filthy room as he jerked his thumb in the direction of the other cells occupants.

 

“It is what I deserve after what I did,” Cain muttered, shame lacing every word.

 

“You mean when you kept your brother around after Lilith brought him back?” Simon asked, feeling awful when Cain’s head shot up to meet his gaze. “I understand why you did it. I have a sister, Rebecca. I’d want to keep her around too if it was me,” he said.

 

“He was an abomination. I should have destroyed him the second Lilith brought him back,” Cain said harshly, angry with himself and Lilith for what they had done to Abel. 

 

“Why didn’t you?” Simon asked, searching for a handle to get the door open and coming up empty-handed.

 

“Because I missed him. Because I didn’t want to destroy him a second time. Because I was selfish,” Cain muttered, staring down at his hands. 

 

“Wanting to keep someone that you love alive isn’t selfish,” Simon said, setting his shoulder against the door, trying to shove it open with all of his might. It refused to budge. 

 

“It is if they are a shell of a man. I knew he wasn’t right, that it wasn’t him. But I was selfish, I told myself that I had another chance with him. To make things right,” Cain said.

 

“Lilith tricked you, it wasn’t your fault. Nobody blames you for wanting to keep him with you. The important thing is that you let him go in the end,” Simon said, giving up on trying to force the door. “Why won’t this thing budge?” he muttered, scratching his head.

 

“It is secured with magic, Lilith’s magic,” Cain said, forcing himself to stand and cross to the door. “Go home, Simon. Escape while you still can,” he said, peering out through the bars.

 

“Not without you,” Simon said stubbornly. Seeing Cain open his mouth, clearly about to protest, he raised a hand, stopping Cain from speaking. “My friends need your help, Cain. Lilith is bent on killing them. You know must things that could help them and they could use all of the help that they can get. Just come with me and meet them,” he said, almost pleading.

 

“Your friends? You mean the ones who defied Lilith?” Cain asked, shaking his head when Simon tried to get through the door again.

 

“Yes. They can help you,” Simon said, giving up on the door, looking up into Cain’s eyes. “You don’t deserve this, Cain. It is my fault you’re here,” he said, guilt clear in his tone.

 

“Why would they help me?” Cain asked. He didn’t blame Simon in the slightest. If he hadn’t fallen for Lilith’s tricks again, he wouldn’t be there. That wasn’t Simon’s fault.

 

“It’s kind of what they do,” Simon said with a rye grin. Cain looked super hungry this close up so he shrugged his backpack off and dug out a bottle of blood and handed it over. “You don’t have to stay here. This doesn’t have to be your life. Don’t let Lilith ruin it anymore than she already has. You don’t owe her anything,” he said.

 

“I’m in a cell, that is where murderers belong,” Cain said quietly, fingering the cap of the bottle.

 

“Don’t you think you’ve punished yourself enough?” Simon asked, urging Cain to drink the blood. The guy really did look like he hadn’t had a good meal in weeks. “You exiled yourself from humanity for centuries out of guilt. It’s time to take your life back. If you won’t do it for yourself, do it for the memory of your brother,” he said.

 

Cain just shook his head, his lips pursed. The hopeful expression on Simon’s face had him wondering why Simon even cared. With a deep sigh, he unscrewed the lid from the bottle and gulped down the contents when Simon urged him to drink, surprised by how fresh the blood was. In truth, he hadn’t had a drink in a while.

 

Simon dug through his bag once more, looking for something that could help him get Cain out of the cell. His fingers brushed one of the bottles that Magnus had given him, thinking of using them, just as the sound of approaching footsteps reached him.

 

Cain’s head snapped up at the same time as Simon’s. He could also hear the pounding footsteps, even over the noise that his fellow prisoners were making. 

 

“We need to get you out of here, now!” Simon muttered, pulling one of the small bottles from his bag and slinging the bag back across his shoulders. 

 

“Go, leave me here. You can save yourself,” Cain said, hastily shoving the empty bottle back through the bars. “Go, I will distract them,” he urged.

 

“I’m not leaving without you,” Simon insisted, weighing up his potion grenade, the footsteps coming ever closer. “You know what Lilith will do if she finds me. You are my only way out,” he tried when Cain looked like he was going to argue further.

 

“How do you figure that out?” Cain asked, straining to see the door at the end of the corridor. The footsteps were now echoing up the stairs that led up to the cells, from the floor below.

 

“You have the mark. I can use you like a Vampire shield and escape,” Simon said with a nervous chuckle. “Lilith won’t attack you. So I’m safe. As long as you and I stick together,” he said. It was low, to put his safety on Cain’s shoulders, but if it worked, it would be worth it. 

 

Cain silently stared at Simon. Simon had come to Lilith's castle, at great risk to himself, to rescue him. Which meant that he was now responsible for Simon. Including making sure that Simon escaped in one piece. 

 

“Fine, but whatever you plan on doing, do it now. They are almost here,” Cain muttered, moving back from the door when Simon gestured for him to stand back.

 

Simon backed up when Cain did, dashing back the way he had come, just about evading the arms that reached for him from between the bars of the cells. Deciding that he was as far away as he was able to get, he took aim and launched the potion grenade in the direction of Cain’s cell door, praying that he wouldn't set Cain's mark off and incinerate himself. 

 

They were already busted, might as well go out with a bang.

 

And what a bang it was. It still boomed in Simon’s ears, even with him covering them.

 

Cain dashed through the wreckage of the door, wondering if someone was looking out for him. How he hadn’t been touched by the blast, he didn’t know. But he was unharmed. Using his heightened senses, he listened for the approaching footsteps coming from the stairwells on either end of the hallway, realising that whoever was coming for them was closer on Simon’s end.

 

“This way,” Cain said, gesturing to the door opposite the one that Simon had come from. Seeing Simon dash forward, he turned for the door and bulldozed his way through it, just as the door at the other end of the hallway crashed open.

 

Simon almost let out a yelp when he looked behind him to see three demons heading their way, all of them vaguely human in shape but with terrifying, distorted features. Deciding that he wanted no part of seeing them up close, he followed Cain through the other door, copying the other Vampire’s movements when Cain leapt over the heads of the three demons that were bounding up the stairs.

 

“Shit, they can climb the walls!” Simon muttered, landing with a thud behind Cain and making a second jump down the next stairway. One of the demons had started scaling the wall when he had jumped, sending a shudder skittering down his spine. It had been bad enough when they had been on the ground. 

 

“There’s worse than that here,” Cain muttered, barely touching down before swinging himself around the bannister and leaping down the next staircase. Taking the stairs would just slow them down and the demons were hot on their trail.

 

Simon stopped at the bottom of the fifth staircase and poked his head over the bannister to look up, practically shitting his pants when he realised that the three demons from earlier had joined the ones chasing them. 

 

“Move!” Cain yelled, grabbing the handle on the top of Simon’s backpack to drag him along. Simon was going to get them caught, they weren’t the only ones leaping down the staircases. “Down here,” he said, pulling Simon through an arched doorway.

 

Simon followed Cain down a draughty hallway, glancing over his shoulder at the stairwell that he had expected them to take. He hadn’t passed down this one when he had arrived.

 

“What about those stairs? We still have two floors to go,” Simon asked, confused about why they weren’t taking the last two staircases and getting the fuck out of there.

 

“I’m trying to lose our friends back there,” Cain said, not bothering to look over his shoulder, he could hear the demons coming. “We would have had to run the circumference of the bottom floor to get out that way, this is a shortcut,” he said. 

 

Simon was pretty sure he would have had to stop for a rest by now if he was still human. The amount of running they had done so far probably would have finished him off already. 

 

The reason for the draught in the hallway became apparent when Simon followed Cain through another arched doorway and emerged into what might once have been a small ballroom or maybe just an extra wide hallway, longer than it was wide.

 

“Meet Lilith’s army,” Cain said over his shoulder when he heard Simon’s gasp from behind him. 

 

“What the fuck?” Simon muttered under his breath, more creeped out than he had been all day when he clapped eyes on Lilith’s army. His eyes darted around, taking in the freaky men and women, around twelve or fourteen of them, all standing stock still, gazing at nothing. Even as they dashed through the room, weaving through the small crowd. He quickened his pace, expecting them to turn on him and Cain at any moment. 

 

“These are the poor souls that Lilith has “brought back to life”,” Cain said, his eyes firmly on the door at the end of the room. One more hallway and two stairwells and they were home free. 

 

Simon’s head snapped around when he heard the sound of claws scrabbling on granite behind him. Not only had the six demons that had been chasing them appeared in the doorway, but they had been joined by a few more. 

 

Out of sheer desperation, Simon yanked the backpack off of his back, his hand diving inside for a couple of Magnus’ potion grenades. Not bothering to aim for anything, he threw them in the general direction of the demons - when the demons started threading through the still, silent crowd- and hot-footed it through the door after Cain. 

 

The explosion was deafening but Cain didn’t stop running, barreling down the short hallway and leaping down the first stairwell, closely followed by Simon. 

 

“We’re almost there,” Cain said, hoping Simon’s bombs had done some serious damage. He took the last stairwell in one huge leap, clearing a good ten foot of hallway in the process, and bounded for the front door.

 

Simon skidded to a stop in the doorway, just shy of barreling into Cain’s back when Cain stopped dead in front of him. The reason for Cain’s sudden stop became apparent when she spoke. 

 

“Going somewhere?” Lilith asked through gritted teeth, her eyes narrowing when she saw the Vampire behind Cain. This wouldn’t do at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh fuck. 👀👀👀


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, sorry it's been so long since I updated. I meant to say during the last update that I'd be taking a small break to go to Itacon3 but I forgot. I had the best time at the con in Italy last week! I got autos from Harry, Matt, Tessa and Anna. 
> 
> Harry left me in tears and Matt had me shaking! All the cast were so amazing! I got to meet them all briefly and had meet and greets with Anna and Luke. They asked what I write when I told them that I write. I told them about this fic, they thought it was a cool idea! 
> 
> I also got photos with Anna, Tessa and Alberto. Alberto and I did the stare out pose. When I apologised for how lame it was afterwards he showed me a picture of him doing the same pose on his phone and I almost died. He was just scrolling through his pictures while I was stood right next to him. Yes, I saw them, no I won't be spilling the dirt. lol. 
> 
> Yeah, so the cast officially killed me off! They were all so sweet and kind. And yo!!!! Matt and Harry are just as beautiful in real life. And so funny!!! And I didn't mention dicks or dimples so I really felt like I won. Anywho, please enjoy the update and I'll try not to leave it so long for the next.

“Fuck!” Simon muttered, staring at the murderous rage in Lilith’s eyes over Cain’s shoulder when her gaze landed on him. He wanted nothing more than to wither under that gaze. Or maybe turn back and face her army of minions instead. It would probably be a safer option. 

 

Something about the way Lilith looked at him, however, had Simon pausing his retreat. If he didn’t know any better, he would swear that he saw no small amount of fear in Lilith’s eyes.

 

“You can’t keep him here,” Simon said, a lot more bravely than he felt. His voice didn’t even shake. Thankfully. “He owes you nothing,” he added.

 

“He owes me everything, Daylighter. I brought his brother back to him,” Lilith said, glaring at Simon before her gaze flicked to a silent Cain, seeing him drop his head. 

 

“You cursed him to an immortal life out of spite and jealousy, drove him crazy to the point of murdering his brother, planted a mark on him that destroyed everything he loves then you tricked him into coming to Edom with false promises of a life with his brother. Who you brought back as a zombie. I’d say you’re the one who owes him,” Simon said incredulously, his outrage overcoming his fear.

 

Cain flinched, hearing his entire life story laid out like that. Every word of it was true. Not only that, but he had let Lilith lock him up when she had dragged him back to her castle after her confrontation with the new Kings of the realm. And he had done nothing to stop her, too busy wallowing in his self-pity. 

 

“Why are you even speaking?” Lilith asked Simon, wanting nothing more than to strike the Vampire down where he stood. “Leave, now,” she said, stepping aside on the drawbridge that spanned the dry moat around her castle to let Simon pass.

 

“Excuse me?” Simon asked, his eyes flicking to meet Cain’s gaze when Cain looked at him over his shoulder, positive that he had heard wrong. Cain looked just as confused as he did.

 

“You can go but Cain stays here,” Lilith said from between gritted teeth, gesturing for Simon to leave. She still needed Cain. 

 

“You’re just letting me go, just like that?” Simon asked suspiciously, trying to work out what Lilith’s game was.

 

“Oh, believe me, if it wasn’t for that infernal mark, I would grind you into dust and scatter you to the four corners of Edom,” Lilith snarled, her sense of self-preservation overriding her deep desire to annihilate the Vampire where he stood. Only her fear of what Simon’s mark could do had her offering him safe passage out of her castle. As far as the end of the drawbridge, anyway.

 

“She thinks I still have the mark of… she thinks I still have the mark?” Simon asked Cain in a whisper, barely daring to move his lips in case Lilith was able to read them.

 

“I never told her that you didn’t,” Cain replied, just as quietly. Mainly because Lilith had never asked.

 

Simon quickly thought back to the last time that he had seen Lilith. It had been the day he, Jace, Izzy and Clary had summoned Lilith. The day she had brought Cain back to Edom. Had she not noticed then? The only thing that could have tipped her off would have been when he had attacked Jonathan and ingested his blood. 

 

But Lilith had been too busy trying to convince Cain to go with her to notice.

 

Cain’s mark had reacted to Simon’s dash to stop him from leaving with Lilith but Lilith had already disappeared by then, Cain disappearing through her portal after her as Simon had rebounded. 

 

Simon fought the grin that wanted to spread over his face. As far as Lilith was concerned, the last time she had tangled with him, his mark had banished her back to Edom. 

 

“Cain comes with me,” Simon said, squaring his shoulders to step out from behind Cain, feeling more emboldened by the second when Lilith skittered back, eying him like a mouse would eye a mangy tomcat, right before the tomcat pounced. 

 

“No! Cain is a man of his word. He agreed to protect me from Jonathan,” Lilith gritted out furiously. “I brought his brother back. He still has to uphold his end of the bargain.”

 

“Jonathan isn’t here, you don’t need his protection. And that wasn’t his brother, by all accounts,” Simon pointed out, his eyes narrowing when Lilith shook her head. More like she needed to use Cain against Magnus and Alec.  _ Not going to happen,  _ he thought.

 

“It matters not. He will be back and Cain will protect me when he returns,” Lilith said, turning to Cain. “Won’t you, son of Adam? You owe me,” she said, her voice softening.

 

“I owe you nothing. I am leaving,” Cain said, anger flashing in his eyes. She had indeed tricked him, the thing that she had brought back had not been Abel.

 

“I wouldn’t if I were you,” Simon said when Lilith moved to block their way, thinking more quickly than he had ever done in his life. “Remember what happened last time? What do you think will happen if you go up against the mark this time? There is no banishment, you’re already here,” he said with a raised eyebrow.

 

Lilith fought a silent battle with herself, her anger building when she realised that Simon had her over a barrel. If she tried to stop them from leaving, their marks would kill her outright but they could be on their way to Magnus, only strengthening his position. 

 

In the end, self-preservation won out for Lilith once more. She had no choice, she would just have to cross that bridge when she came to it and hope that she had enough strength to bring to bear against Magnus and his stupid husband, even if they had Cain by their side. 

 

Simon started out cautiously, taking hold of Cain’s arm and pulling him along when Lilith moved back to let them pass with a frustrated growl. Moving as quickly as he dared, he pulled Cain across the drawbridge, trying not to look too closely at the piles of bones in the dusty, empty moat.

 

Cain let Simon pull him along, skirting a seething Lilith to make his escape, an escape that he should have made the moment Alec and Magnus banished his brother. 

 

They had barely made it a couple of dozen steps down the path that led from the bridge when something caught Cain’s attention from his peripheral. “Simon, look out!” he muttered, trying to shove Simon out of the way.

 

Simon had been so intent on getting past Lilith and away from the creepy keep that he failed to notice the demon that was heading his way. Small, pink and grey mottled skin, six legs and rather large teeth. Jonathan’s pet demon rat. It came straight at him, its small jaw clamping around the leg of his jeans and hanging on when its mouth wasn’t big enough to get around his leg. 

 

“Ugh! Get it off me!” Simon shrieked, flailing his leg in a kick that was meant to dislodge the demon. It wasn’t working, the rat was more persistent than it looked. 

 

Cain risked a glance over his shoulder, his stomach dropping when he saw Lilith’s face. “Run!” he yelled, reaching down and ripping the thing off of Simon’s leg, along with a good chunk of the denim material. Chucking it unceremoniously over his shoulder, he grabbed Simon by the arm and took off.

 

“Shit!” Simon yelled, also glancing over his shoulder. The expression on Lilith’s face, a mixture of outrage and glee, promised a slow and violent death. Cain didn’t have to tell him twice to get moving. 

 

_ Just look ahead!  _ Simon silently chastised himself for being the idiot in the movie who always checked behind themselves instead of getting the fuck out of there when he looked over his shoulder again to see Lilith running after them, his stomach dropping when Lilith turned into a massive bat-like creature on the fly. Literally. She was flying to catch up with them, screeching at the top of her demonic lungs.

 

“Just stay close to me,” Cain muttered to Simon when he looked behind them and saw that Lilith wasn’t the only one chasing them now. A small swarm of demons had emerged from the castle, more than likely in response to her outraged scream.

 

“Believe me, I intend to,” Simon muttered back, running faster than he had ever run in his life, which was fast! Reaching behind him, he yanked at the bow that was strapped to his backpack, his other hand already dipping into the quiver that was strapped to his hip.

 

“You think that will do anything to stop her?” Cain asked incredulously, secretly impressed when Simon managed to nock an arrow and let it fly at Lilith while he continued running. Even if the arrow would be nothing more than a toothpick to Lilith in her current form. 

 

“It’s worth a try. And these arrows are Alec and Magnus’ speciality arrows,” Simon muttered, once more managing to twist the top half of his body to fire another arrow at Lilith. This one actually struck, exploding when it hit Lilith’s tail. It didn’t do much damage but it seemed to annoy her.  _ Probably not a good thing,  _ he thought.

 

Another scream had Cain looking over his shoulder again as he ran flat out, his eyes widening when Lilith let out a plume of flame with her screeches. It wasn’t aimed at them but he had no doubt that she would aim for Simon, the second the other Vampire left his side. 

 

Simon fired a couple of arrows at the demons that chased them, further behind than Lilith was. Apparently, they were no match for his and Cain’s Vampiric speed so he gave up on trying to hit them and conserved arrows for Lilith, firing one at her every once in a while to keep her away from them. 

 

“Which way?” Cain asked when faced with a natural fork in the dusty path up ahead of them.

 

“Left,” Simon replied, focusing on the path once more. He didn’t know what lay to the right but had taken the left path to get to Alec and Magnus’ house when he had entered the realm. He was surprised at how far they had already come, his main focus had been on Lilith during their escape. But he veered off to the left anyway. They weren’t far now.

 

Simon stuck close to Cain for the rest of the journey, practically hip to hip with Cain the entire way. He wasn’t willing to give Lilith a target, not with the huge plumes of fire that she spat into the air every time she screeched. The demons that trailed them came into view now and then, whenever they crested another rolling, sandy hill. But he and Cain were managing to stay ahead. 

 

Another twenty minutes of flat out running brought Alec and Magnus’ house/compound into view, something that Simon had never been more grateful for in his life. 

 

“Alec, Magnus!” Simon yelled as they approached the house in a blur, praying to the angel that Alec would hear them, Lilith was still after them. It seemed they were in luck when he and Cain passed through Magnus’ extended wards, still fifty ft from the compound. “Fuck the gate, just jump the wall,” he muttered when he saw Cain aiming for the gates.

 

Simon had never felt more relief in his life than when he saw arrows and fireballs flying from the roof of Alec and Magnus’ house, all heading in Lilith’s direction. Nodding towards the wall for Cain’s benefit, he waited until the last minute to bend his knees and launch himself over it, Cain following after. 

 

Cain looked up when he landed in a huge courtyard, to see two men, Alec and Magnus, standing on the roof of the building, both firing at Lilith as she circled the building, continuing to scream her fury out. 

 

Making a quick decision, Cain bent his knees and launched himself up onto the roof to join them. They were offering him help after all. The least he could do was protect them with his mark if Lilith decided to fight back.  _ It might as well be used for something good,  _ he thought.

 

“Cain, it’s good to see you again,” Magnus said, another bolt of magic dancing across the tips of his fingers as he watched Lilith fly a few more circles overhead. He maintained the shield that he held over himself and Alec, even when Lilith gave up and turned in the air to fly away.

 

Alec was surprised as hell that not only had Simon made it back but he had managed to bring Cain back with him. He let off another five tipped arrow at the retreating backs of the swarm of demons that had chased Simon and Cain, nodding a greeting to the other Vampire when it looked like they weren’t coming back.

 

“I don’t think they’re coming back anytime soon,” Magnus said, letting his magic die away as Lilith and her demons dissapeared into the distance. “Shall we?” he asked, gesturing to the ground where Simon was waiting for them.

 

Alec wrapped his arms around Magnus’ waist, waiting until Magnus’ arms were securely around his neck before stepping off the roof. Bending his legs slightly when he landed, he released Magnus, back on solid ground. 

 

Magnus took a moment to get his breath back, his stomach settling in place. It might not phase Alec to drop thirty feet through the air but he much preferred portals. It hadn’t been so bad when Alec had picked him up and launched them in the direction of the roof when his wards had gone off. 

 

“What happened?” Alec asked when they were all back on solid ground.

 

“I tricked Lilith into thinking that I still had my mark. It almost worked. Probably would have if Jonathan’s pet rat hadn’t tried to take a chomp out of my leg,” Simon said, waving his leg around to show them the rips in his jeans.

 

“Maybe you should start at the beginning, Simon,” Magnus suggested, his hand resting on Alec’s shoulder when Alec muttered a question about pet rats. To be fair to his husband, Simon wasn’t making much sense. “Maybe inside, with refreshments?” he asked, turning to Cain to include him in the invitation.

 

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Cain said, observing proper manners, as he should have the first time he had met the two kings. Simon’s loud, stuttering snort had his head snapping up.

 

“Your Majesty? Him?” Simon asked, busting out into a fit of laughter. He completely missed Alec’s eye roll and Magnus’ sniff when Cain raised an eyebrow at him. “Wait, you’re serious?” he asked. 

 

“Majesty is the title one use’s when addressing a King,” Cain explained, wondering if Simon had ever attended a school. “Since Magnus is the one who inherited the throne, I would address him as Majesty. Would you prefer Majesty or Highness?” he asked Alec.

 

“There’s no need for any of that, Cain. Just call us Magnus and Alec,” Magnus said when he saw how uncomfortable the question made Alec. He managed to refrain from flipping Simon off when Simon stifled a laugh and led the way inside. 

 

“You weren't joking about that whole, “ruling another realm” thing, were you?” Simon whispered to Alec, following Magnus and Cain into the large hallway and through the arched doorway to the room with the fancy chairs. Magnus and Alec’s thrones.

 

“Technically it’s true. Or it will be once we take care of Lilith,” Alec shrugged, following Cain and Magnus into the loft. He veered off into the kitchen and heated up a couple of baggies, decanting them into a jug once the blood was warmed to drinking temperature while Magnus made himself a drink at the drinks cart in the living room.  

 

“Why don’t you start at the beginning, Simon?” Magnus asked when everyone was seated in the living room, all of them clutching a drink.

 

Simon proceeded to explain everything that he had done and seen since leaving Magnus’ portal, managing to tell them everything before the questions started. They had a lot more restraint than he had.

 

“Is that the only army she had? The ones that you might have destroyed? Or were there more?” Alec asked, including Cain in his question, wanting to get an idea of numbers as soon as possible.

 

“That was her army of the undead. She also has a horde of demons at her disposal. Some of them serve her out of fear, the more mindless ones. Others, those with a little more brainpower, struck bargains with her,” Cain said, wanting to be as helpful as possible.

 

“Fourteen wouldn’t seem so bad if each one of them wasn’t the equivalent of five people,” Magnus said, scrubbing his hand over his face. It was a relatively small number, one that either of them could probably take out single-handed - if they weren’t such formidable enemies. The fact that the returned dead didn’t have to worry about injury or death didn’t help the situation.

 

“Can I see the blanket?” Magnus asked, holding his hands out until Simon had dug it out of his backpack. Holding the musty, ragged blanket between his hands, he closed his eyes and scanned it with his magic, trying to get a sense of who might have owned it. 

 

Small flashes came to Magnus, images of a frightened child, an angry teenager, a desperate man. There was a lot of confusion, hurt and anger. 

 

“You were right, this belonged to Jonathan. Good thinking, Simon,” Magnus said. The blanket could easily be used to track Jonathan, hopefully giving the others the lead that they desperately needed.

 

Alec was too busy trying to come up with numbers and tactical advantages to pay any attention to Jonathan’s plight when Simon started going into detail about Jonathan’s bedroom. He might be a vampire now but those Shadowhunter instincts and the training that he had gone through, his entire life, were still a part of him.

 

“The pictures were so creepy, it was like a shrine in there. The dude is way too obsessed with Clary,” Simon muttered, shuddering at the memory of the scratched out eyes that Jonathan had drawn on all of the pictures that didn’t feature Clary. “And he slept in this bizarre cage bed. I’d feel sorry for him if he wasn’t such a psychopath.”

 

“That’s probably the reason he _ is _ a psychopath. I can’t imagine Lilith showed him much love while raising him. Jonathan probably doesn’t even know what love is or how to react to it in the correct way if he was shown an ounce of it,” Magnus speculated, feeling a strange sort of empathy for Jonathan at that moment.

 

Sure, Asmodeus had never made him sleep in a cage. But Magnus could certainly relate to having a remorseless demon raise him and the shitty upbringing that Jonathan must have faced as consequence for Valentine dumping him there. To say that Jonathan didn’t know any better was no excuse for the way he was acting but Simon’s trip to the castle gave him an insight into why Jonathan was the way that he was.

 

“What about you, Cain? Will you share your story with us?” Magnus asked. He had been watching Cain, watching the way the Vampire had tried to be subtle as he had gawped around at the loft.

 

“Lilith tricked me into coming to this realm. She promised that she would bring my brother back in exchange for protection. However, when she applied her dark magic and brought him back… he wasn’t himself. Abel was like a blank slate, a puppet. He would stand in one place and stare at nothing until Lilith commanded him to move. He didn’t speak or eat… he didn’t even look at me unless she commanded it,” Cain said, his stomach clenching painfully.

 

“I knew it was wrong, to keep him in that state. I know that I should have left him to death but I was so desperate to make amends for my past misdeeds that I ignored all of that. I missed what we had before Lilith became a part of our lives and wanted it back but…” Cain trailed off. Abel hadn’t been the man he once was.

 

“We understand,” Magnus said. As an immortal, he had faced many losses over the years. There had been many people he had wished that he could bring back. He felt awful, hearing the guilt in Cain’s voice, seeing it in his eyes, knowing that it must be worse to be the orchestrator of your loved one's death.

 

“It’s understandable that you wanted him back but it goes against the natural laws, Cain,” Magnus said quietly, not wanting to upset the Vampire any further. “Unfortunately, we cannot change the things that have happened in the past, only move forward. If you spend your entire life living in the past you forget to have a future. Maybe I didn’t know Abel but I would think that he would want you to move on, to have a life instead of suffering.”

 

Simon was in the process of nodding his agreement when a flair of fire, right there in the middle of the rug that sat between the chairs and couch they were sitting on, made him jump a foot in the air.

 

“My sixteenth-century rug!” Magnus yelled when a grave-dirt message burned its way into the rug, forgetting entirely that it wasn’t actually his priceless rug but a replica.

 

Alec stood and circled the message to read it the right way up, reading it out loud for Simon’s benefit while Simon recovered from his shock.

 

**_“Hey guys, it’s Clary._ **

**_The blood transfusion worked!_ **

**_We all have the Heavenly Fire now._ **

**_Except for Helen, the Heavenly Fire destroyed her blood sample._ **

**_She had too much demon blood in her, apparently._ **

**_Our next step is to find Jonathan._ **

 

**_I hope Simon made it in one piece and that you guys are holding up down there._ **

**_We haven’t forgotten you, we’ll bring you home._ **

 

**_Maryse told me to remind you both to take proper care of yourselves._ **

**_And Izzy said that she loves you both but you have to send Simon home,_ **

**_because she misses him._ **

**_Jace is trying to be cool but he misses you Alec._ **

 

**_See you soon,_ **

**_love Clary.”_ **

 

Alec finished reading the message out, half relieved that the experiment hadn’t fried any of his friends and half worried about them going up against Jonathan.

 

“They will be okay,” Magnus said, reaching out to take Alec’s hand. He was as worried as Alec was but put a brave face on for his husband’s benefit.

 

“I know. They’ve trained their whole lives for this. Well, most of them have. It doesn’t stop the worry though,” Alec said, squeezing back when Magnus’ grip tightened.

 

“We should make a move,” Simon said to Cain, climbing to his feet, too busy packing Jonathan’s blanket into his rucksack to notice the expression that flitted over Cain’s face. Until Cain spoke.

 

“I will not be coming with you, Simon. I will stay here and help Magnus and Alec fight, Lilith,” Cain said, shaking his head when Simon started to protest. “There’s nothing there for me and Lilith needs to be stopped. She has been allowed to ruin too many lives as it is. I won’t let her destroy your friends too.”

 

“Cain, you don’t have to stay. We don’t expect it of you,” Magnus said, worried that Cain felt like he owed them something. As welcome as Cain’s help would be, he wouldn’t ask the man to risk his life for them. “You could start fresh, begin a new life…”

 

“I will stay. This mark that I have been cursed with has already hurt too many people. Both those I love and those who have hated me. I don’t feel safe interacting with defenceless mortals. But I would like to use to help you both,” Cain interjected.

 

“You should know that I also have the mark,” Alec said, pursing his lips when Cain looked at him with a mixture of horror and pity stamped across his world-weary face. “I had to protect my husband. This was the only way. Even as a Vampire, I wouldn’t be strong enough to face her without it,” he said. As much as it was a pain in his ass, he would take the mark 1000 times over if it meant he had a way to protect Magnus.

 

Magnus took hold of Simon’s arm when Simon still looked like he was going to protest. “It’s his desicion,” he said.

 

“Fine. But I hope you know that you have friends top side if you ever change your mind,” Simon said to Cain. He didn’t want to leave Cain behind. He knew that Cain could build a life for himself in the mortal realm. But he also accepted that it was Cain’s decision.

 

“Uh, please keep our marriage to yourself until I can find a way to talk to my mom. She will only find a way down here to kick our asses,” Alec said, enduring it when his sire pulled him into a hug. Simon really wasn’t a bad person.

 

“You have nothing to worry about,” Simon said, raising his hand to slap Alec’s back before thinking better of it. 

 

“And pass our best wishes onto the others. If they need anything, magic wise, send them to Catarina or send a grave-dirt message if they need anything from me,” Magnus said, giving Simon a hug. He looked like he needed it.

 

“I will,” Simon said, releasing Magnus to start unbuckling the thigh holster and weapons that Alec had lent him.

 

“Keep them, I’m sure you’ll find a use for them,” Alec said, holding his hands up when Simon made to hand him his bow back. He had plenty more and he had no doubt that Simon would find himself in a situation where he would need them. The guy got kidnapped every other week.

 

Magnus led Simon into Alec’s training room, the largest room in the loft, with Alec and Cain following behind. He shut the door behind them and weaved his hands in a complicated pattern, securing the room from everything on the other side to be sure nothing could escape with Simon before creating a portal with a wave of his arm. 

 

Simon prepared himself with a few deep breaths, still hating portal travel as much as he always did, before stepping through the portal with one last look at Cain. It didn’t sit right with him but he dutifully left Cain behind to return to New York.

 

Magnus closed the portal as soon as Simon disappeared, ensuring that it was fully closed before snapping his fingers to bring down the protections that surrounded the room. 

 

“How about I show you to your room?” Magnus asked Cain, gesturing for the Vampire to follow when Alec led them out into the main living area.

 

“You don’t have to put me up. I can find somewhere else to stay,” Cain said, grateful for the offer, even if he hadn’t meant to imply that he expected to stay with them.

 

“It’s fine, we have the room,” Alec said, smiling for their guest. It might still technically be their honeymoon but he wouldn’t see Cain out on his ass. “Just make yourself at home. Trust me, you can’t be a worse houseguest than Simon,” he said, only half-joking. 

 

Simon had actually barged into their bedroom with a tray of pancakes and a jug of blood that morning. Luckily for Simon, they had still been asleep. It would have been awkward for everyone if Alec had had to kick his sire’s ass for walking in on them while they were fucking. 

 

“We even have plumbing so you can get cleaned up,” Magnus said, refusing to hear another word about it.

 

“Thank you, both of you. I appreciate your hospitality,” Cain said, grateful for a chance to get cleaned up and sleep in a decent bed he noted when Magnus led him to a guest bedroom that smelled strongly of Simon.  

 

Alec pulled Magnus down onto the couch when his husband returned, taking the opportunity to whisper in Magnus’ ear when he heard Cain get into the shower.

 

“I’m guessing there'll be no… you know, tonight either?” Alec asked quietly when Magnus settled into his side. 

 

“You guess correctly,” Magnus chuckled when Alec rolled his eyes. He was just as disappointed as Alec was but Cain’s hearing was just as good as Simon’s was. 

 

Alec let out a groan, wondering if it would be considered rude to have Magnus build a guest annexe so he could fuck his husband in peace. Who knew that he would still be getting cockblocked all the way in Edom? He was just grabbing the remote to put a movie on when a thought came to him.

 

Magnus almost fell off of the couch when Alec disappeared from beneath him, his head hitting the couch cushion where Alec’s shoulder had been a moment before. He didn’t have to wonder what Alec was doing for long.

 

Alec searched through Magnus’ spellbooks on the bookshelves in the hallway at top speed, flicking through a promising looking book of basic spells. He almost yelled in triumph when he found what he was looking for. 

 

“This one,” Alec said, practically flinging the book at Magnus when he returned to the living room, wondering why neither of them had thought about it before. Unable to help his impatience, he tapped at the page, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth when Magnus’ face split into a grin.

 

Magnus tossed the book aside when Alec scooped him up off the couch. He didn’t need a spellbook to tell him how to place a silencing charm on their bedroom. Snapping his fingers, he left a note on the couch, telling Cain that they were having an early night and to help himself to anything he wanted before Alec kicked their bedroom door closed behind them. 

 

They had a honeymoon to continue.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is for those who wanted the smut at the end of the last chapter. Apparently, there were a lot of you, lol. I did a poll on twitter to ask if I should just add the smut to the last chapter and leave a note to go back, to put it at the beginning of the next chapter, or to add a short, 2k word smut chapter. The consensus was to add a short smut chapter. However, there's nothing short about this one. It turned into a 5.7k word behemoth with absolutely no plot. Lol. I know I should be moving the story on but Malec are on their honeymoon. So, let them fuck, I say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Strap down your wigs ladies, gentlemen and all those who are both or neither.

Alec carried Magnus into their bedroom, bridal style, almost knocking the door from its hinges in his haste to get to the bed. Now that the worry of Simon’s mission was behind them, they could pursue more interesting activities. Like getting Magnus naked. 

 

Magnus’ cast the silencing spell on the room with an almost negligible wave of his hand before his hands slid into Alec’s hair. He claimed Alec’s mouth, grinning against the soft, plump lips when Alec stopped dead in the middle of the room to kiss him right back.

 

Alec used his strength to reposition Magnus in his arms, his tongue sliding into Magnus’ mouth when Magnus gasped at the move. Letting Magnus settle on his hips -Magnus’ legs wrapped around his waist- he invaded Magnus’ mouth like a starving man, groaning into the kiss when Magnus’ fingers ran through his hair a little more roughly.

 

“You don’t know how much I want you to pull my hair right now,” Alec growled, his voice gravelling out, just from the thought of Magnus’ fingers twining into his hair and tugging. It was something that always got him in the mood, something that he missed desperately.

 

Magnus didn’t pull Alec’s hair, as much as he knew Alec loved it. He wasn’t that far gone. Yet. Alec’s hands, sliding up his thighs to squeeze his ass was getting him there though. Rolling his hips slightly, he pushed into Alec’s hands, a small moan building in his throat. 

 

The movement had the added benefit of getting some friction on Magnus’ denim bound cock against Alec’s rock hard stomach. The friction drew out his moan, only making him dive deeper into Alec’s mouth, wanting every part of his husband. 

 

Alec dropped Magnus slightly lower, bucking his hips to grind against Magnus’ cock, his husband now sitting at the right height to get some friction of his own dick. He gripped Magnus’ ass harder when Magnus pulled back to trail kisses along his jaw.

 

Magnus nosed Alec’s head up, breathing hard, to press a sucking open-mouthed kiss under the sharp line of Alec’s jaw. Following the sounds of the small noises Alec made, he continued the path, licking the shape of Alec’s old deflect rune into the skin of Alec’s neck. It might not be present on his husband's skin any more but he remembered the precise placement of the rune. He had kissed it often enough.

 

Alec let Magnus slide to the ground, unable to hold Magnus up anymore. It had nothing to do with his strength and everything to do with how Magnus could take him apart with a flick of his tongue. Finding the buckle of Magnus’ belt, he quickly undid it along with the button and zipper of Magnus’ jeans, loosening the tight material. 

 

Magnus would have whined when Alec didn’t go right for his dick - if Alec’s hands hadn’t slid into the back of his jeans instead. The whine that had been building turned to a husky moan when Alec’s large hands cupped his ass.

 

“I wonder if you could cum just like this, Alexander?” Magnus grated out, flexing his hips forward for more friction. He used his natural grace and fluidity to rock his hips, grinding against Alec’s rock hard dick in a steady rhythm, grinning when Alec’s eyes screwed up, his husband’s lips parted slightly, Alec panting from the movement.

 

“Maybe. I’m not the only one who’s fully hard though, am I?” Alec asked, licking his dry lips for some moisture as he slid his hand around in Magnus’ pants to cup his dick instead. Magnus’ tone was far too smug for his liking. It was his turn to smirk when the grin slid from Magnus’ face.

 

Alec curled his fingers around the length of Magnus’ dick, watching Magnus’ eyelids flutter with each small twist of his hand in the limited space of Magnus’ pants. It was his favourite look on his husband, the look of absolute pleasure, Magnus’ eyes tightening at the corners, small lines radiating from them. Unable to stop himself he pressed a lingering kiss to Magnus’ parted lips. 

 

Magnus had to grab onto Alec’s arm to steady himself, fucking into Alec’s hand with jerky movements. “Not enough room…” he started to mutter before Alec started tugging his pants down with his free hand, continuing to jerk him with twisting strokes. 

 

Alec went to town on Magnus’ neck, scraping his teeth across Magnus’ skin as Magnus fucked into his hand. He managed to get his husband’s pants down as far as Magnus’ mid-thigh before giving up on the tight material. Thankfully, Magnus did his magic thing. 

 

Magnus snapped his fingers, removing every stitch of clothing they were both wearing. Skin contact was always much more preferable to the material that blocked his skin from Alec’s.

 

“Cum for me,” Alec breathed in Magnus’ ear when Magnus started fucking into his hand again. Keeping his hand still, he gripped Magnus’ ass with his free hand, helping direct Magnus’ movements. 

 

Magnus could barely draw a breath, his grip on Alec’s upper arm tightening once more, his left hand sliding into the hair at the nape of Alec’s neck, holding on for dear life. Alec’s breath, ghosting over his collarbone between each searing, sucking kiss on his neck made his knees weak and his orgasm creep closer. He could feel it building, his balls heavy with his impending release.

 

“You’re so fucking hot. Cum for me, Magnus,” Alec said into the skin of Magnus’ neck,  listening to Magnus’ stuttering breath and thudding heartbeat. His control was sorely tested when his fangs snapped out, insanely turned on by the small, panting noises that Magnus was unable to control.

 

Magnus let out a breathless, shuddering moan when his balls drew up, cumming into Alec’s hand and all over his husband’s abdomen. The lips and the soft drag of fangs on his neck, breath floating over his skin, the slight command in Alec’s voice had all been too much. Not to mention the perfect grip on his dick.

 

Magnus pressed his forehead to Alec’s temple, trying to get his breath back, his chest rising and falling rapidly. Alec didn’t even have the decency to let go of his dick, pumping his shaft a few more times to draw another breathless moan from him. 

 

Alec let go of Magnus’ dick when he felt Magnus start to shake, pressing himself closer so that Magnus could feel the wet patch of cum that dripped down his hip and on his cock.

 

“Look what you made me do,” Magnus mumbled, chuckling when Alec started laughing. The shake of Alec’s body against his own did nothing to diminish how hard he still was. Still as hard as before he had shot his load. 

 

“This will come in handy,” Magnus grinned against Alec’s cheek, taking Alec’s solid dick in hand, smearing his cum over Alec’s dick to slide his fingers up and down his husband’s length a little more easily.

 

The husky tone of Magnus’ voice and long fingers that wrapped around his dick had Alec’s balls aching. He took deep breaths, burying his face in Magnus’ hair when Magnus’ grip tightened, Magnus’ hand sliding up and down his entire length. 

 

Helpless to do anything else, Alec followed when Magnus started moving towards the bed, still gripping his dick. A laugh bubbled up when they collapsed in a tangled heap on the golden sheets.

 

Magnus rolled them when Alec landed between his legs, rocking on Alec’s dick when he landed on Alec’s hips. He had to bite into his bottom lip to stop from laughing when Alec’s head slumped back onto the mattress, Alec’s head tilting back, long fingers curling into the satin sheets. Alec looked halfway gone already. 

 

The damp patch of cum that smeared all over Magnus’ inner thighs every time he rolled his hips had his breathing shallowing again. He looked up at Alec through his lashes, watching Alec try to fight his fangs. “Leave them out,” he said, his voice husky, reaching up to tug at Alec’s bottom lip with his thumb. 

 

“I need to fuck you so bad,” Alec moaned, digging his feet into the mattress and bending his knees to buck his hips up into Magnus’ movements. Between Magnus’ warm, slightly damp skin on his own and Magnus’ thumb, flicking over one of his fangs, he was insanely hard.

 

“Patience is a virtue, Alexander,” Magnus grinned, shifting forward slightly so that the next buck of Alec's hips had Alec’s dick wedged into the crack of his ass. The solid length, sawing at his asshole almost had him forgetting what he was planning.  _ Maybe we should just fuck, _ he thought before shaking it off.

 

Alec didn’t know whether to protest when Magnus shimmied down the bed or throw a party. Levering himself up onto his elbows, he forgot to breathe when he saw Magnus’ tongue dart out. The soft lick up his inner thigh was maddening. Hot, but not close enough to his dick.

 

Magnus smirked into Alec’s thigh when Alec let out a frustrated groan. Ignoring the solid length that was bobbing a few inches in front of his face, he opted to tease Alec’s other thigh with kitten licks instead.

 

“ _ Magnus! _ ” Alec whined, uncaring of how high pitched the noise was. He wanted Magnus’ mouth or ass wrapped around his dick, not really caring which at that moment. His plea was rewarded when Magnus’ tongue snaked over his sac. Before veering off again. “ _ Please? _ ” he begged, not having a single fuck to spare.

 

A low growl escaped Alec when Magnus blew a breath of cool air over his dick, giving the head the smallest kitten lick that was humanly possible before turning away from it once more. He forced his fangs to retract when a thought sprang into his head. If Magnus wanted to play that game then he could too. 

 

Magnus could do nothing but let out a yelp, that he would deny to his dying day when Alec blurred into action, too fast for him to even comprehend Alec’s movements or the strong grip on his arms. 

 

One moment, Magnus was lying on his stomach, head between Alec’s thighs, teasing Alec with small licks. The next minute, he was straddling Alec’s face, reverse cowboy, Alec’s arms wrapped around his thighs to anchor him in place, looking down at Alec’s straining dick. Alec had literally manhandled him into position. And he wasn’t complaining one bit.

 

“Fuck!” Magnus gasped, looking over his shoulder to meet Alec’s gaze. His breath exploded out of him when Alec spread his ass cheeks and licked a stripe up his taint and the crack of his ass. The lick was absolute perfection. Right up until the point where Alec was about to reach his hole... and stopped. The strong grip on his legs stopped him from wriggling back to get Alec’s tongue where he wanted it.

 

“It’s not nice to tease, is it?” Alec asked, repeating the move, only to stop before he reached Magnus’ clenching hole. 

 

“Alexander?” Magnus begged, failing completely when he tried to admonish his husband. It sounded more like a desperate plea. A shiver ran up his spine when Alec repeated the move, Alec’s nose skimming over his asshole but his tongue just missing the mark.

 

“Did you want something?” Alec asked, giving Magnus’ ass cheeks a lazy squeeze when Magnus tried to wriggle in his iron grip once more. “Just think. I don’t need to breathe. You could ride my face all night long,” he said, smirking into Magnus’ skin when he saw Magnus’ eyes flash before Magnus turned and dipped low.

 

Magnus bent and sucked Alec’s entire length into his mouth, moaning around Alec’s solid dick when Alec’s tongue swirled over his hole. Finally, friction! He supposed he’d had it coming. And the thought of riding Alec’s face for hours appealed to his most base instincts.

 

Alec had to force his hips to remain on the bed when Magnus sucked his dick furiously, Magnus’ head bobbing quickly, sucking every inch of him in. It seemed Magnus couldn’t give a fuck about his gag reflex when he hit the back of Magnus’ throat and Magnus kept on going. It was a good job they were already in hell, the gagging noises were a sin.

 

Following his husband’s lead, Alec pulled Magnus’ cheeks further apart and flicked his tongue over Magnus’ hole, eliciting the most beautiful, muffled moan he had ever heard his Warlock make. He muffled his own moans in Magnus’ ass, swirling his tongue around the sensitive skin before pushing the tip through the strong ring of muscle.

 

“More,” Magnus gasped breathlessly when he pulled up off of Alec’s dick, using the ridiculous amount of drool that he had produced as lube to jerk Alec off. He tried to push back as he fisted Alec’s cock, twisting with a firm grip every time Alec teased the tip of his tongue into his asshole. 

 

Every time Alec’s tongue pushed into him, Magnus let a low, husky moan escape him, wanting nothing more than to fuck himself on Alec’s tongue. But the grip on his thighs was too tight. He sucked the head of Alec’s dick back into his mouth, twisting his hand every time he brought it up to meet his lips.

 

“Relax for me and I’ll give you more,” Alec said, his voice low and gravelly. The grinding movement’s of Magnus’ hips had him relaxing his hold, pushing deeper into Magnus’ hole, his own hips thrusting up slightly when Magnus started riding his face in earnest.

 

Magnus whined around the reassuring weight of Alec’s cock, rocking his hips to take Alec’s tongue deeper, the strong muscle opening him up for Alec’s dick. Just the thought of taking Alec in his ass had him moving faster, the scratchy, perfect friction on his cock from Alec’s chest hair stealing his self-control. 

 

Letting go of one of Magnus’ cheeks, Alec pressed his thumb to Magnus’ hole, teasing it in and out, occasionally swiping his tongue over Magnus’  taint and sac where it hung next to his chin.

 

Alec relaxed his grip on Magnus’ thigh fully, letting Magnus push back as he thumbed his husband’s tight hole open. He switched his thumb out for his tongue now and then, coating Magnus’ asshole with spit, again and again, to ease his thumb inside, going a little deeper each time. 

 

Magnus slurped on the head of Alec’s dick like it was his favourite flavour, his hand moving faster when Alec’s thighs began to shake. He could feel himself relaxing, pushing back harder, moaning a little louder when two of Alec’s fingers replaced his thumb and tongue.

 

“Don’t cum until you’re inside me,” Magnus muttered, pulling off of Alec’s dick once more. Loosening his grip slightly, he stroked Alec loosely, letting his Vampire calm down a bit. He wanted it to last when Alec fucked him. The two long, twisting fingers in his ass were doing their job beautifully but he wanted Alec’s dick. 

 

Magnus reached around and grabbed Alec’s wrist behind him, unable to stop himself from pushing Alec’s fingers a little deeper into himself for a moment before regretfully pulling Alec’s fingers out of his ass.

 

“Are you ready?” Alec asked, thanking the angel that Magnus had pulled back a little. He would have cum if Magnus had carried on sucking his dick. He had his answer when Magnus shuffled forward. Letting go of Magnus’ thighs completely, he continued to fail at feigning breathing when Magnus crawled down the bed, over his thighs and looked over his shoulder. 

 

Magnus reached behind himself and took Alec’s solid dick in hand, stroking it lightly when he met Alec’s gaze. Snapping his fingers to coat them both liberally with lube, he brushed the head of Alec’s cock up and down his crack, teasing himself with it, only positioning it at his entrance when Alec nodded frantically.

 

Magnus impaled himself with Alec’s dick, his breath shuddering out of him when the head pushed into his body. He sank slowly, breathing hard -his own dick aching for some attention- until he was fully seated on Alec’s hips.

 

Alec had to grip Magnus’ hips, his thumbs slotting into place in the dimples on Magnus’ lower back, a deep moan rumbling through his chest as Magnus engulfed him. Eyes glued to Magnus’ hole, he watched his husband accept every inch, his balls twitching from the sight of Magnus stretching around him. His fingers would probably leave marks but Magnus didn’t seem to mind.

 

“You’re so fucking tight,” Alec muttered under his none-existant breath, grinding his hips up slightly into Magnus’ clenching heat. The grip Magnus’ ass had on him threatened to finish him off. 

 

“You have no idea how good you feel inside me. So big,” Magnus murmured, taking deep breaths as he got used to being full. Alec wasn’t a small man, everything was in proportion and it secretly pleased him that he could take his husband into his body. Not that he would admit it aloud.

 

Alec skimmed his fingers over Magnus’ hip bones, grounding himself with Magnus’ skin to stop from thrusting up. His husband was a test of his limits at the best of times but nothing felt better than being joined with Magnus.

 

Magnus lifted his hips experimentally, leaning forward and grabbing hold of Alec’s knees for support. The movement wasn’t too bad so he continued until Alec almost fell from him, moving slowly when he pushed back down. 

 

The pressure in Magnus’ ass had him gasping but it was a good kind of pressure, the perfect stretch on his rim. He moved slowly, pushing into the touch of Alec’s calloused fingers on his skin, his eyelids fluttering when Alec’s thumbs swept over his skin.

 

Alec couldn’t stop staring, watching Magnus’ rim cling to his dick, dragging at his foreskin every time Magnus lifted off of his dick and pushed back down. Watching Magnus ride him was probably one of his favourite things to watch but he especially loved it when Magnus rode him reverse cowboy. He got to see everything. And his Vampire eyesight had him seeing it in HD.

 

Wanting to touch every part of Magnus that he could reach, Alec slid his hands down Magnus’ thighs, the pads of his fingers brushing through Magnus’ leg hairs before he lightly dragged his fingernails back up Magnus’ legs. A shudder ran down his spine to match that of Magnus’.

 

“You look so beautiful like that,” Alec said, his hips rising to meet Magnus’ next downwards thrust, watching the way Magnus’ hips moved. The top half of Magnus’ body stayed still, Magnus practically twerking on his dick. The perfect control that Magnus had over every part of his body had him groaning, gripping Magnus’ hips once more.

 

Magnus looked over his shoulder, his breath gasping out when Alec started guiding his ass, Alec’s dick pushing deeper into him. The expression of absolute bone-deep pleasure on Alec’s face, Alec’s eyes tightening when Alec pushed into him, again and again, was more than beautiful to him. Alec always looked stunning when he lost himself to pleasure.

 

Letting go of Alec’s knees, Magnus straightened up, still bouncing on Alec’s cock. He threaded his fingers with Alec’s at his waist, pushing one of Alec’s hands to his hip, pulling the other around to skim their joined hands over his inner thigh. The movement brought their hands close to his dick but he didn’t make any move towards it, he wanted to savour the sensation, to drag it out.

 

Alec almost lost his shit when Magnus’ back arched to keep riding him. The soft lamp light that lit the room bounced off of the sheen of sweat that had broken out over Magnus’ body, making Magnus’ golden skin glow softly. 

 

The arch of Magnus’ back, the bead of sweat that rolled down the perfect curve of his spine had Alec pushing deeper into Magnus when he thrust his hips up again. Magnus was going to be the second death of him.

 

Alec didn’t sweat anymore. He kind of missed it, the clammy feeling of their bodies pressed together when they made love for hours, sweating from the exertion as they lost themselves in each other. The heat of Edom probably didn’t help but he couldn’t feel it, no matter how much Magnus worked him over.

 

Wanting to feel it again, Alec sat up, plastering himself to Magnus’ back. Magnus’ hand, releasing its grip on his hand to reach up to take a grip of his hair was more than welcome. Pouting his lips out, he pressed sucking kisses between Magnus’ shoulder blades, moaning into Magnus’ skin when Magnus’ grip in his hair tightened infinitesimally.

 

Magnus guided Alec’s hand, their fingers still twined together, up his ribcage, moaning a low, husky moan when Alec took the hint. Turning his head, he claimed Alec’s lips when Alec pinched his nipple into a stiff peak, arching his back further to keep riding Alec and push his chest into Alec’s expert touch at the same time. 

 

Alec claimed Magnus’ breathless moan for himself, licking into Magnus’ mouth to claim his tongue too. Magnus always affected him like this. Every move, every sound, made him want to claim every part of Magnus. Just the sounds of their skin meeting, a deeper clap, the sound cushioned by Magnus’ round ass and thick, toned thighs, was driving him insane.

 

Alec continued to roll Magnus’ nipple between his thumb and forefinger, his other hand sliding down Magnus’ stomach. Flattening his palm, he rubbed over the entire length of Magnus’ dick, trailing kisses down Magnus’ neck when Magnus pulled away from his kiss. 

 

“Not yet, I don’t want to cum yet,” Magnus moaned breathlessly, unsure of whether he would have a third one in him if he came now. It was already a close thing from the sensations that ran through him, almost too much.

 

Magnus stopped bouncing on Alec’s dick, pulling up until Alec fell from him to leave him with a stomach-clenching emptiness. He turned, once more straddling Alec’s lap, to face his husband. Meeting Alec’s questioning gaze, he settled over Alec’s dick, once more positioning it at his entrance, slowly sinking down. 

 

“I wanted to look at you,” Magnus said huskily, wrapping his legs around Alec’s waist and locking his ankles at the small of Alec’s back. Taking Alec’s face in his hands, he tugged Alec’s head back, fitting their lips together in a brief, gentle kiss.  _ Who wouldn’t want to look at him?  _ He thought, sinking into his husband’s tight embrace. 

 

“Good, because I’d look at you for the rest of eternity if you’d let me,” Alec whispered against Magnus’ lips, wrapping one arm around Magnus’ waist, the fingers of his other hand sliding up the side of Magnus’ throat to curl into the hair at the nape of Magnus’ neck.

 

Magnus’ stomach clenched, flip-flopping from Alec’s words. Rubbing his nose against Alec’s, he pressed lingering kisses to the corners of Alec’s lips, tracing the edges until Alec claimed him once more. 

 

Alec’s hands slid down Magnus’ back as he sucked Magnus’ bottom lip into his mouth. The wriggle of his husband’s hips made it perfectly clear to him what Magnus wanted. Sliding his hands over Magnus’ ass cheeks, grabbing a good handful, he lifted Magnus off of his dick, catching Magnus’ moan when he pushed his husband down again.

 

“Just like that,” Magnus breathed, his forehead pressed to Alec’s, arms wrapped around Alec’s neck. Alec’s strength, whenever Alec had activated the strength rune that used to grace Alec’s bicep had always taken his breath away but the raw power that Alec displayed now, lifting him up without breaking a sweat, made him weak.

 

Magnus clutched Alec to him, moaning deeply every time Alec filled him. The movement started to put a little pressure on his prostate as well as his dick where it was trapped between their bodies. The double friction was everything he needed. Almost. He held onto Alec’s neck with one arm, sliding his other hand between them to grip his dick.

 

Alec pressed a sucking kiss to Magnus’ shoulder, the taste of Magnus exploding on his tongue. It had him lifting Magnus faster, his hips trying to fuck up into Magnus’ body. His world shrank until it was just him and Magnus in their bubble, their bodies, the sounds they made, the slide of Magnus’ sweaty skin against him. 

 

Magnus started to roll his hips every time Alec pushed him down, needing more friction on his prostate. His legs tightened their hold, his hand tugging himself harder, his lungs quitting on him. All of it was almost perfect. He just needed that little bit more to cum again.

 

Alec lifted Magnus right up, falling from his body. The need to fuck into Magnus almost consumed him. Looking up into Magnus’ questioning eyes when Magnus looked down at him, Magnus’ arms and legs tightening, as if in denial that he had just pulled out, he wrapped his arm tightly around Magnus’ waist and manoeuvred until he was on his knees.

 

Alec lay Magnus down on his back, thinking about how pretty his husband looked there, framed by the silky golden sheets. “Did you think I was done with you?” he asked, supporting himself on the mattress with one hand, pushing his other between their bodies to take hold of his dick and guide it to Magnus’ hole.

 

“The thought had occurred to me,” Magnus said, his words ending on a breathless gasp when Alec pushed into him once more. His eyes rolled back, forcing him to look away from Alec’s beautiful hazel eyes. Which was an absolute crime in his opinion. He just couldn’t help it though.

 

“Not even close,” Alec whispered in Magnus’ ear as he pulled his hips back. “I’ll never get enough of you,” he said, thrusting back into Magnus warm, tight body. The clench of Magnus’ hole drew a moan from him that could only be described as indecent.

 

“Oh darling, I thought that the first time I looked at you,” Magnus said, combing his fingers into Alec’s hair, tilting his head to give Alec better access to his neck. Unclamping his legs, he let them fall open, rocking his hips to meet Alec’s next thrust.

 

Alec dragged Magnus’ right leg back up, hitching it around his waist to lift Magnus’ ass up a little higher. Plus, he liked feeling it wrapped around him, Magnus’ foot resting in the small of his back. He trailed kisses down Magnus’ neck and collarbone, punctuating each thrust with a kiss, before continuing, pressing more kisses over Magnus’ chest, unable to get enough.

 

“Fuck… fuck! Carry on like that and you’ll make me cum again,” Magnus moaned when Alec sucked his nipple into that sinfully hot mouth. The words escaped in a huff but he still held Alec’s head to his chest, pushing into Alec’s mouth, his left leg curling around the back of Alec’s thighs to bury his foot in Alec’s ass.

 

Magnus used his foot to pull Alec into him faster, panting from the deep, hard thrusts and the tingles that shot from his nipple and pooled in his balls. Every rut of Alec’s hips and each sucking kiss on his chest dragged him closer to release, his head slamming back into the mattress when it hit.

 

Alec continued to fuck into Magnus when Magnus came again, his hips stuttering when Magnus’ husky whine rang through their bedroom, Magnus’ release coating his stomach once more.

 

“Fuuuck,” Magnus cried, his body jerking when he came between them. His orgasm ripped through him, his hips continuing to roll, his foot still pulling Alec into him. He wanted Alec to cum too. Dropping his right leg, he reached out, gripping Alec’s ass to pull him in faster. “Come on, cum for  _ me, _ ” he said, breathlessly, pulling Alec closer until they were chest to chest.

 

Alec dropped to his elbows, bracketing Magnus’ head, burying his face in Magnus’ shoulder when Magnus’ entire body practically curved around him. He was close, focussing on the feeling of Magnus’ contracting asshole, the grip Magnus had on his back and in his hair, the loud, thudding tattoo of Magnus’ heartbeat. 

 

The sound of Magnus’ blood, sloshing through his veins with each elevated beat, was enough to drag Alec’s orgasm out of him. He came, grunting deeply into the junction of Magnus’ neck and shoulder, his balls tightening, exploding deep in Magnus’ ass. 

 

Alec’s fangs snapped out, his body unable to tell the difference between the hunt and his pleasure for one wild, scary moment. He had to wrap his lips over his teeth, his eyes clenched shut to stop himself from doing something that he couldn’t take back. 

 

The sounds of Magnus’ orgasm, the scent of their love-making, and the heat of Magnus’ body where it was wrapped entirely around him was almost seductive to Alec, his body screaming at him to take Magnus then and there. It only made him grind into Magnus harder to draw it all out.

 

“Hey, hey, look at me,” Magnus said, feeling Alec’s whole body tense, one fang grazing his neck. He looked up into Alec’s eyes when Alec pulled back to look at him, searching them. If he was honest with himself, he would offer himself up to his love in a heartbeat but he knew that Alec would never forgive himself if he did something rash in the heat of the moment without getting permission first.  

 

“Come back to me,” Magnus said, cupping Alec’s jaw, his thumb sweeping up Alec’s cheekbone to ground his husband. He watched the wild look diminish, Alec’s senses coming slowly back to him.

 

“You didn’t even flinch,” Alec rasped out, staring down into Magnus’ golden eyes with wonder. All he saw was love and trust, not even a hint of fear. 

 

“I know you’d never hurt me,” Magnus said, his voice calm and even, if not still a little breathless from their love-making. “You love me too much,” he said, feeling the truth of the words in the marrow of his bones. 

 

Reaching up with his free hand, Magnus cupped Alec’s face in his hands, drawing Alec’s face down to press a kiss to Alec’s lips, fangs and all.

 

“More than I have the words for,” Alec said, pulling back to look at Magnus. His husband was wrecked, hair dishevelled, makeup sliding down his face from the heat and the sweat, pupils fluctuating between slits and blown, wide circles, his lips swollen and kiss bitten. He had never looked so beautiful.

 

Alec withdrew his hips, pulling out of Magnus, and slumped down into Magnus’ embrace. Sliding his hands under Magnus’ body to hold him closer, he lay his ear over Magnus’ heart, listening to the steady thud as it slowed down. 

 

“What does it feel like, when they snap out?” Magnus asked, wrapping his legs around Alec once more. He combed his fingers through Alec’s hair, his thumb finding one of Alec’s fangs to brush up and down it, careful of the sharp point.

 

Alec thought about it, about the action and the reasons for when he was unable to control his teeth. Pouting his lips forward to kiss the pad of Magnus’ thumb, he spoke when Magnus pulled it back.

 

“It hurts a little when they push through my gums but my brain barely registers it. I’m usually too preoccupied with anger or hunger or lust. They just snap out without me having to think about it, or without me even wanting them to,” Alec said, listening to the minute changes in Magnus’ heartbeat at the words “anger” and “lust”.

 

“But you ground me. You pull me back from the edge before I can fall over it,” Alec said, turning his head slightly to kiss Magnus smoothe, damp chest. Unaware of the action, he spun his wedding ring on his finger, feeling the same calm radiate through him as he did when he looked into Magnus’ eyes or heard Magnus’ voice. It was enough to let him retract his fangs. 

 

“You do the same for me,” Magnus said, looking down into Alec’s eyes when Alec’s head rose from his chest. “When strong emotion makes my magic burn through me, I picture your face or imagine your voice in my ear. It calms me, keeps me from doing stupid things,” he said, smiling at the surprised expression on Alec’s face.

 

 “I didn’t know. You always seem so in control,” Alec said, leaning into Magnus’ touch, his eyebrow rising when Magnus snorted.

 

“I may seem calm and collected on the outside, Alexander, but I’m a hothead. You keep me from letting my emotions get the best of me,” Magnus said, quirking one of his eyebrows up. “Usually,” he added with a rye grin. 

 

“You manage to draw all of them to the surface when it’s just you and me though,” Magnus said, running the tip of his finger down the bridge of Alec’s nose, booping the dimple before flicking it down over Alec’s plump lips to drag Alec’s bottom lip down a little. 

 

“Ha, that’s nothing compared to the effect you have on me,” Alec said, recalling the time his chaotic ass had told Lydia Branwell that Magnus was “Quite Magical”. And that was before he had even seen how magical Magnus could be. “You own every piece of me, Magnus Lightwood-Bane,” he said, willing to give it all to the man that lay beneath him.

 

“Ditto,” Magnus said, laughing when Alec grinned up at him. Alec was his world. His husband was welcome to every last particle of his being. 

 

Magnus snapped his fingers and summoned a pillow from the head of the bed that they were sprawled sideways across, happy to delay the cleanup for a moment. He tugged it under his head and went back to stroking his fingers through Alec’s hair when Alec’s head lay on his chest again, thinking of all the ways that Alec owned his entire heart and soul. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Send help for ma heaaaaart. Those mushy husbands are going to finish me off, I swear! Also, I will advocate for the nose boop with my dying breath! Byyyyyeeeee!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your patience. A new story got a grip of me this last week or so and wouldn't let me continue this until I got some of it out of my head. But I had an epiphany with this one. Please enjoy the chapter <3<3<3
> 
> If you want to read about Malec as two strangers on a delayed flight who are forced to share a bed, head on over to my new series, Serendipitous. The first part, two chapters so far, is called Kismet.

Magnus left his potion room to see where Alec and Cain had gotten to. They had spent the morning discussing strategies for breaching Lilith's defences before he had decided to finish off a new batch of potion grenades, as Simon had called them. Alec and Cain had muttered something about training before scampering off. 

 

Having Cain in their space over the last few days had been easier than both of them had expected. He had plenty of insider knowledge about Lilith, tidied up after himself and had the decency to knock before entering a room. All in all, Cain made a good houseguest, unlike Simon. Simon really did make himself at home when he was told to.

 

Magnus smiled when he thought about how Cain and Alec had hit it off rather well. Cain had shared some stories of the centuries that he had walked the earth, mainly stories about old wars and the kind of weapons he had favoured in his early days, snaring Alec’s interest and sparking several debates. 

 

Magnus didn’t mind so much that Cain and Alec spent most of their time training but he’d had to search Alec out a few times over the last few days, usually finding him holding some heated discussion with Cain. The whispering was starting to make him paranoid, considering how many times the conversations had ceased the moment he approached the pair.

 

Like now. 

 

Sweeping Alec's training room with his gaze when he paused in the doorway, Magnus saw them huddled in the corner, holding another heated, whispered conversation. Alec's hand gestures were even more expressive than usual. 

 

"Is everything okay?" Magnus asked when Alec stopped the conversation and approached him. The expression on Cain's face, over Alec's shoulder, seemed one of discontent. No, not discontent, more like exasperation. 

 

“Fine. Did you want to go train with your magic?” Alec asked, pressing a kiss to Magnus’ cheek.

 

“Sure. I wanted to have a word first though. In private if you don’t mind, Cain?” Magnus asked, turning to the vampire in question. 

 

“Not at all. I’ll meet you both outside,” Cain said, sighing when Alec ignored the pointed look he gave him. 

 

Magnus pushed Alec back into the training room and closed the door behind him when Cain headed out to the throne room. Snapping his fingers, he placed a silencing spell on the room before turning to Alec.

 

“What’s going on?” Magnus asked, deciding to get straight to the point.

 

“What do you mean?” Alec asked, shrugging when Magnus raised an eyebrow at him. 

 

“You two are planning something,” Magnus said, folding his arms over his chest. The look of innocence on Alec’s face was a little too carefully crafted. “Every time I walk into a room the two of you clam up faster than a Seelie when confronted with a direct question,” he continued when Alec refused to meet his gaze.

 

“We’re not. We’re just discussing tactics, that’s all,” Alec said with a tight smile, clasping his hands behind his back.

 

“What kind of tactics?” Magnus asked suspiciously. Alec was so bad at lying that he always knew when Alec was telling him the truth. Alec  _ was _ telling the truth but he was still suspicious.

 

“The quickest way to take Lilith down,” Alec said, fighting the urge to fidget under Magnus’ scrutinizing gaze.

 

“That’s all?” Magnus asked, his eyebrows creasing into one line, Alec was telling the truth again. He still wasn’t buying it though. Cain seemed to be permanently on edge whenever he walked into the room, giving Alec pointed looks, keeping his mouth shut whenever he approached. 

 

“Absolutely,” Alec said, smiling when Magnus nodded and brought the silencing spell down. “Are you ready for training?” he asked, sliding his hand into Magnus’ when Magnus led the way out of the room. 

 

“Sure,” Magnus said, side-eyeing Alec. They got as far as the hallway before his wards went off, stopping him in his tracks for a moment. The magic, detecting an unfamiliar presence, pulsed through him. Alec too, he saw when Alec immediately went into a defensive stance.

 

Alec held his hand out, nodding to his husband when a sword appeared in his hand with a wave of Magnus’ hand. He stepped forward when Magnus’ red defensive magic coalesced on his palms and opened the doors that led into the throne room.

 

Magnus followed Alec out, noting that Cain had lingered in the throne room, looking thoroughly confused. 

 

“Uninvited company,” Alec said when he saw the expression on Cain’s face. The words had barely left his mouth when a group of demons appeared in the doorway. Or maybe swarm was more appropriate. 

 

Cain accepted a battle axe - his favoured weapon - when it appeared in his hand without comment, his eyes narrowing when he saw who had arrived.

 

“I don’t know who you are but you are trespassing,” Magnus said to the first demon through the door, who he assumed was the leader when he saw that none of the strangers was Lilith. He didn’t bother to hide his magic when he stepped in front of his throne, standing shoulder to shoulder with Alec, Cain joining them on his left.

 

Alec’s eyes flicked over the crowd that traipsed into the throne room, taking them all in. He assumed that the first man to enter was the leader until more of them came through the door. They seemed to be made up of four distinct, separate groups.

 

There were three men and one woman, each appearing to be the leader of a smaller group, even though they entered as a whole. Alec watched the first man who had entered, confusion setting in when he saw the golden scales that covered the skin that was exposed on his face and arms. There was something disconcertingly familiar about him.

 

Magnus leaned in when Cain gestured him closer, never removing his eyes from the group. None of them appeared to be armed or hostile but that didn’t mean a thing where Edom’s inhabitants were concerned.

 

“Lilith must have sent them, they are part of her alliance,” Cain whispered in Magnus’ ear, recognising three of the leaders. The woman was new.

 

Magnus nodded, expanding his magic to encompass his arms too. Cain had told them about an alliance that Lilith had formed with a few of the more dangerous and influential demons of the realm, demons that she had at her disposal.

 

“That’s Belial,” Cain muttered when the first demon stepped forward.

 

Alec stepped forward too, angling himself so that he could step in front of Magnus if the demon tried anything. Now he realised why he had found the guy familiar. The demon was Lorenzo’s father.

 

“We meant no intrusion, King Magnus. Allow me to introduce myself and my companions. My name is Belial and these are Shinigami, Lempo and Nessraya,” Belial said, affecting a bow to the son of Asmodeus.

 

Magnus studied the man who had addressed him, Lorenzo’s father. The only resemblances he saw were the scales that were Lorenzo’s warlock mark, a penchant for ostentatious clothes - his clothes were made of an odd material that looked a lot like leather - and the self-important attitude. Turning his attention to the other three, he inspected them quickly. 

 

Shinigami was an odd demon, bald with pale and mottled skin, almost translucent. He wore an expression on his face that gave nothing away. His body, encased in black furs, turned into smoke for a moment, a bluish-gray that resembled the smoke from a lit cigarette, before his body solidified again. 

 

Lempo seemed entirely bored, an almost resigned expression set on the oddly long features of his face.  _ Droopy,  _ Magnus thought. The demon looked droopy. It was the only word he could come up with, eyes flicking over the dark thatch of hair that sat atop his head. It looked like toupe. Even that seemed to droop down the side of his head. And his odd tunic and pants combo looked baggy and droopy too.

 

Nessraya was unnaturally beautiful, making Magnus suspect she was a succubus. Nessraya seemed rather comfortable in her pale skin, wearing nothing but a green, sheer, floor-length skirt that was split up to her hips at the sides, a tonne of golden necklaces and bracelets and only her matching green hair to cover her breasts, her hair ending mid-thigh.

 

Nessraya had brought a couple of Succubi with her too, though they hung back, both equally as beautiful as she. Each of the other demon leaders had three others with them, lesser demons, various shapes and sizes, that barely garnered Magnus’ attention. He was too busy keeping an eye on the Succubi who had turned their attention on him and Cain.

 

“Why are you here?” Magnus asked, switching to Chthonian, the most commonly used demonic language. Belial had used it when speaking. He subtly drew a shield around himself and Cain as he eyed Nessraya. Her icy blue eyes were fixed firmly on Alec, making his narrow, even as a smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth.

 

“We wish to come to an agreement with you, your Majesty,” Belial said smoothly, drawing Magnus’ attention once more. 

 

Magnus held his hand up when Alec stiffened next to him. Excusing them, he snapped his fingers and created a bubble of silence around himself, Alec and Cain.

 

“It’s some kind of trick,” Alec said, knowing that the demons couldn’t hear him. “Lilith probably sent them to lull us into a false sense of security. I don’t trust any of them,” he said.

 

“Neither do I,” Magnus said, seeing an annoyed expression flit over Belial’s swath looking face before the demon banished it.

 

“You’re right not to trust them. They are the kind to switch sides the moment it looks like their chosen ally is going to lose,” Cain said, elaborating when Magnus and Alec both looked at him with eyebrows raised in question.

 

“None of them supports Lilith but they joined her alliance because she is the most powerful demon in this realm. They aren’t in strong enough positions to take her down by themselves but there were whispers amongst the castle’s inhabitants that a few demons were banding together to stage a coup. Looks like these four are the ones,” Cain explained.

 

“Sounds like the Seelie Queen,” Magnus said, an amused smile tugging his mouth up when Alec sighed. “As much as I don’t trust a single one of them, we need people on our side. Maybe we can take advantage of their duplicity. I think diplomacy is required here. Your skills in dealing with the Clave will come in handy, Alexander,” he said.

 

“Great,” Alec muttered, eyeing their guests. He had thought the days of dealing with snakes were over. He followed suit when Magnus sat down, taking a seat on his throne, mentally preparing himself for the battle of wills that was about to commence. 

 

Magnus snapped his fingers, conjuring a chair for Cain before he removed the silencing spell when they were seated, knowing he didn’t need to tell Alec to tread carefully. His husband was an expert at dealing with two-faced back-stabbers. He didn’t miss the way all eyes fell on Alec when he sat in the second throne.

 

“What are your proposed terms?” Alec asked Belial, also in Chthonian, thankful that his old tutor, Hodge Starkweather, had drummed the language into him as a child. Sitting back in his chair, he folded one leg over the other. He didn’t drop his guard for a moment but the demons didn’t have to know that he wasn’t as relaxed as he appeared.

 

“Your Majesty,” Belial said, turning to Magnus. “Maybe your advisors would be more comfortable…?” he cut off when Magnus raised his hand.

 

Magnus focused his magic in front of him, Alec and Cain, shaping it into a solid invisible wall, slamming it against the four distinct tendrils that snaked invisibly towards him. Their guests were probing with their own magic, trying to feel him out, probably trying to gauge how powerful he was. 

 

Magnus dropped his glamour while he was at it, needing to remind them that they weren’t dealing with some weak human. Their expressions ranged from surprise to shock, the four demon leaders left reeling.

 

“Nessraya, are you trying to seduce my husband?” Magnus asked, focussing on the female demon’s magic, which she was trying to wrap around Alec. Not that he needed to use magic for that, he could see the way she was physically trying to make herself more appealing, the features of her face changing to something she probably thought Alec might like. She wasn’t exactly subtle. 

 

“I’m afraid your power won’t work on him, my dear. You aren’t his type,” Magnus said, a smirk tugging the corners of his lips up when he saw the expression on Alec’s face out the corner of his eye. It was one of utter incredulity.

 

“Not at all,” Nessraya said, smiling at the King where he sat on his throne, her eyes flitting to his beautiful companion. To say that she was perplexed was an understatement, she was every male's type, no matter what species they were. The King’s companion didn’t even flinch in her direction.

 

“You all obviously know who I am already,” Magnus said, silently adding,  _ or you wouldn’t be here,  _ as he slid his hand into Alec’s grasp _.  _ “Let me introduce you all. This is Alexander Lightwood-Bane, King-consort of Edom. He is my husband, not my advisor,” he said when he saw the confusion on all of their guest's faces. 

 

They had agreed on King-Consort rather than Prince-Consort or Crown-Prince. Magnus had insisted that Alec use the title, wanting the inhabitants of Edom to treat Alec the same as him when they finally got rid of Lilith and actually settled down to the task of ruling the place.

 

All diplomacy went out of the window for Alec when he felt a pulse of Magnus’ magic slide up his arm. He could clearly feel the magic that their ‘guests’ directed at his husband, through their joined hands. Storing it away to ask Magnus about it later, he turned on their guests.

 

“We were under the impression that you were a part of Lilith’s alliance. So why are you here?” Alec asked Belial the question but let his eyes flick to the rest of them, watching them mutter to their companions. They might not realize it but he could hear their discontent, their muttered questions about why Belial was speaking for all of them not lost on him. 

 

“She is an arrogant, spiteful bitch and we want her gone. She has ruled this realm for too long. But she is weak now. It is time…” Belial cut himself off before he could go too far. Just the mention of Lilith’s name usually set him off. But these were negotiations.

 

_ It is someone else’s turn to rule over the realm,  _ Magnus silently filled in, not for a second fooled by Belial’s simpering smile. It was obvious that Belial saw himself as King material, making him wonder why the others were there and if each of them thought the same about themselves. 

 

An image of them all duking it out in some crazy  _ Game of Thrones  _ style battle for his seat filled Magnus’ head. As entertaining as a real-life version of the show would be, he had no intentions of giving his throne up. At least Lilith was a known quantity. What would they be stuck with if one of these lot tried to depose him and Alec?

 

“Is that the only reason?” Magnus asked the others. So far, Belial had been the mouthpiece of the group. He didn’t know whether the demon was more powerful than the others or if Belial had appointed himself their leader but he had a feeling that they weren’t exactly friends. 

 

Each group stood apart from the others, making Magnus suspect that they were there together out of necessity rather than out of any sense of loyalty toward each other. He suspected that each group had their own agendas, rather than just one common goal and his suspicions were confirmed when Shinigami stepped forward.

 

“We also want the rift opened,” Shinigami said, levelling Belial with a look when the demon took a step in his direction, fury etched into the lines of Belial’s face. He couldn’t care less what Belial had said about not revealing their reasons for coming. 

 

“When you closed the rift you sealed off the entire realm. None of us can get out. You have cut off our food supply,” Shinigami continued when Belial stepped back. Some of them didn’t need portals to move from realm to realm. Or hadn’t, until King Magnus had sealed Edom up with all of them trapped inside.

 

Magnus didn’t need to ask to know that Shinigami was talking about humans. They could all feed on each other until there wasn’t a demon left in the realm for all he cared. He wasn’t reopening the rift for anyone. And certainly not so that they could go feed on the inhabitants of his home realm.

 

“Lilith has caused too many problems and she has declared war on us. We have no choice but to deal with her,” Magnus said, speaking to all of them. “But the rift will remain closed. You will have to find another food source,” he said.

 

Alec didn’t need Cain’s uttered warning. He saw the furious expression on Shinigami’s face for himself. The moment Shinigami turned to smoke, he stood and stepped in front of Magnus, putting himself between his husband and the enraged demon that came for him, moving faster than any of them could track.

 

Everyone, with the exception of Magnus and Cain, skittered back when Shinigami solidified in front of Alec for a split-second before the demon disintegrated, turning to ash in front of their shocked eyes. Alec hadn’t even flinched. 

 

A symbol had lit up, on his forehead, a set of fangs had snapped out and a snarl had ripped from his throat but the King-Consort hadn’t made a move to defend himself. Shinigami was gone, a cloud of dust falling through the air before settling at the King-Consort’s feet. 

 

Magnus turned to the group who watched them when Alec returned to his seat beside him once more, noting Belial’s shocked, almost scared expression, the demon and his cohorts jumping backwards as though they were waiting for him to set Alec on them too.

 

Magnus also noted the wariness that crept over the so-far silent Lempo’s face. The silence and the wariness had him marking Lempo as the most dangerous of the group. The demon had appeared to be bored, his droopy features hinting at slowness that was most certainly a deception. He had no doubt that there was a calculating intelligence lurking behind the soft-looking countenance. 

 

No one in the throne room missed Nessraya’s reaction. Her darkening face screwed up into an ugly mask of hostility, skin and hair turning black, a hiss escaping past the huge array of fangs that now filled her mouth. The nails on her hands and bare feet had turned into snaggled claws. As had those of her companions.

 

It was Shinigami’s remaining demons that had Magnus moving. Two of them had skittered back through the door, disappearing from sight. The third demon, however, ran forward with jerky movements. The sound of nails on a chalkboard reverberated around the room when it screeched for the loss of its master.

 

Magnus jumped to his feet and flicked his hands, two fiery whips curling from his palms, the same magic that he had defeated his father with. Snapping his wrists forward, he wrapped the ends of the whips around the demon’s neck and severed its head from its body with a flick of his wrists, his cat eyes glowing brightly.

 

“When I banished my father to Limbo and took this realm from him, I had no intentions of coming here to rule with an iron fist. But mark my words, if any of you come for our thrones again, we will destroy you and all that you hold dear,” Magnus said, his voice magically booming through the room.

 

“King Magnus Lightwood-Bane is not somebody you want to go up against,” Alec said when he saw Belial twitching with anger in the corner. “You should spread the word, in case anyone else decides to try their luck. Believe me, it will end badly for them,” he added, speaking to all of the remaining demons.

 

Alec hadn’t moved to defend Magnus when the second demon had come at them. They needed to see that Magnus was a force to be reckoned with in his own right. The disintegrating demon obviously hadn’t gotten the message. But the rest of them were getting it now.

 

“The rest of you have two options. You can either join us or you can get the fuck out of our way. Either way, Lilith will be destroyed and the rift  _ will  _ stay closed. If you are with Lilith then you are against us. I suggest you choose wisely,” Magnus said, his tone brooking no arguments. He wasn’t foolish enough to trust any of them if they joined them but he would let them nonetheless. They needed numbers.

 

Cain watched Magnus and Alec, deep respect for them forming. They could have destroyed the remaining demons, who had blatantly come to destroy the pair if their demands weren't met, and they would have been well within their rights to do so.

 

Their actions inspired respect and loyalty, a desire to follow them. Not out of duty to the two rulers of the realm he now resided in but because Cain believed that they were worthy of following. Catching Alec’s eye, he gave him a silent nod, knowing that Alec understood when Alec returned the gesture.

 

It seemed self-preservation won out over the desire to take Alec and Magnus on. Nessraya was the first to step forward.

 

“I am with you. You are a far better option than Lilith,” Nessraya said, a charming smile lighting her face up for the two Kings.

 

Alec stared when Nessraya’s fangs and claws disappeared. The woman’s entire appearance changed. Her long hair remained black but her skin changed, turning a beautiful golden hue, her nails appeared to painted with black nail polish and her eyes shifted. The shape and hue of them changed, now golden with slitted pupils. She looked like a female version of Magnus, almost an exact replica, aside from the female body.

 

“You still aren’t his type,” Magnus huffed, glaring at Nessraya’s blatant attempts to snare his husband. He refrained from crossing the room to rip her long hair from her head. Nessraya could change herself into a man for all the good it would do, he knew Alec was content with him.

 

“I too will join you,” Lempo said, stepping up beside Nessraya and the harpies that followed her, rolling his eyes at the three of them. One of her fellow Succubi had altered her appearance to resemble a female version of King Alexander, the other was focused on Cain, her features fluctuating as she tried to find something that would attract him. Succubi were all the same, draining your seed and life from you until there was nothing left. 

 

Magnus repressed a shudder at the deep boom of Lempo’s voice. It sounded desolate, the sound of a thousand lost souls, echoing from out of a deep pit. For some reason, he had been expecting a soft, lazy drawl. The demon’s voice had every hair on his body standing on end. He reminded himself to keep both eyes on the demon.

 

“Of course, I will join you,” Belial said, stepping forward too. He didn’t bother to add that they were his only shot of getting rid of Lilith.

 

“Lorenzo would be so pleased,” Magnus said to Belial, silently adding,  _ that we don’t have to kill you.  _

 

“Who?” Belial asked, watching when Magnus snapped his fingers, a large round table appearing in the middle of the room.

 

“Lorenzo,” Magnus said, taking a seat at the table, gesturing for the others to take their seats. The incomprehension on Belial’s face had him clarifying. “Lorenzo Rey, your son? He’s a friend of ours,” he said. 

 

“Friend” was stretching things but Magnus hoped Belial wouldn’t be such a douche if he thought they were friends with his son.

 

“Forgive me, I have many children,” Belial said as he took his seat at the table between Lempo and Nessraya, a smile on his face. The name rang a bell but it had been centuries since he had bothered with any of his children.

 

Magnus exchanged a glance with Alec, seeing his own shock mirrored on Alec’s face. Asmodeus might have been an asshole but at least his father had known who he was.  _ No wonder Lorenzo acts like a dick, _ he thought, deciding that he would try to be nicer to his fellow Warlock if he ever saw him again. 

 

Alec took a seat next to Cain, the only one left. He noticed it was the furthest one from Nessraya but chose not to comment on the fact. She was still trying to get his attention, her skin glowing brightly, batting her lashes at him. He couldn’t help but find Magnus’ scowl absolutely adorable.

 

Magnus conjured a few bottles of wine and a jug of blood for Alec and Cain, along with several glasses. Filling the glasses with a wave of his hands, he sent them forth before they settled down to discuss numbers and strategic positions. He had a feeling they were going to need the alcohol.

 

**

 

“That went better than expected,” Magnus said, leading the way into the loft when their guests left, heading for his potion room, Alec and Cain following behind.

 

“I still don’t trust any of them but at least we have the numbers now,” Alec said. It wasn’t enough compared to what Lilith had but they were in a far better position than before their new allies had shown up. Each demon had promised a quota of bodies for the upcoming battle against Lilith.

 

“The reason for this,” Magnus said, pointing to one of the barrels of Alec’s grave dirt. Clearing a space on the floor with a wave of his hand, he grabbed a handful and knelt on the ground.

 

Alec and Cain watched over Magnus’ shoulder as Magnus used the dirt to write a note;

  
  


**_Catarina, my dear friend,_ **

**_I hope you and Madzie are well._ **

**_We miss you both so much._ **

 

**_We need your help._ **

**_Could you do some research on the demons Belial, Lempo and Nessraya?_ **

**_We have enlisted them in our fight against Lilith._ **

**_Anything you could find on them would be helpful._ **

 

**_All our love, Magnus and Alec._ **

 

Magnus snapped his fingers, setting fire to the message and watching it burn before the words faded. “I want to know everything there is to know about our new comrades,” he said when it was done.

 

Alec took Magnus’ hand when he stood, looking down to see a reply to Magnus’ message forming on the concrete floor, a sigh of relief escaping when the words appeared.

 

**_We miss you too._ **

**_Consider it done._ **

**_Catarina._ **

 

Now they just had to wait to see if their willingness to accept help was misplaced. 


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Um, some stuff happens. Don't yell at me please, the story isn't over yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I suck at updates, writer's block is a bitch. I'm trying.

**_From what I could find,_ **

**_Lempo is thought to be a god of love and fertility in Finnish folklore._ **

**_It is believed he is a trickster or a fiend_ **

**_and is not to be trusted._ **

 

**_Belial is known as a devil according to Jewish and Christian texts._ **

**_He and his sons are mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Mostly they_ **

**_are described as ‘worthless’. No wonder Lorenzo is always trying to_ **

**_claw his way to the top. He probably doesn’t want to be_ **

**_associated with his father’s reputation._ **

 

**_I couldn’t find much on the demon himself_ **

**_but I wouldn’t trust him either. I’ll ask Lorenzo about him._ **

**_You owe me big time for that and I intend to collect, Magnus._ **

 

**_As for Nessraya, I couldn’t find anything about her._ **

**_Maybe she’s never been to this realm before._ **

 

**_Whatever you’re up to, please be careful. Both of you._ **

**_I don’t like what I’ve found so far. But I’ll keep looking._ **

 

**_Maybe when Madzie is older and able to protect herself better_ **

**_we could come and visit. She’s too young now and I can’t leave her alone._ **

**_I miss you, Magnus._ **

 

**_I’ll send any more information your way as soon as I find it._ **

**_Take care,_ **

**_Catarina._ **

 

“It’s not much, is it?” Alec asked, chewing his lip when he looked up from the message that was burned into the ground of the training yard. They had spent the morning in the training yard, he, Magnus, and Cain all working individually on their skills before the message from Cat had shown up.

 

“It’s only been two days, Alexander. I’m sure she will find more,” Magnus said, reaching out to tug Alec’s bottom lip from between his teeth. “Have a little faith in her,” he said, moving to cup Alec’s cheek.

 

“I do. I just wish we knew more about them,” Alec said, leaning into Magnus’ touch. As helpful as the small amount of information was, he preferred to be better prepared than they were. “The time is set, Magnus. Two days isn’t enough time for her to gather more information. We’re putting our trust in these demons,  _ I’m _ putting your life in their hands. I just want to be sure it’s the right decision,” he said.

 

“We have no choice. We can’t go up against her alone,” Magnus said, privately agreeing with his husband. He would be putting Alec’s life in their hands too. “Two days will have to be long enough. She grows stronger every day. We can’t leave it any longer.”

 

After the meetings they’d had with their new allies, it had been decided that they would strike in two days' time, giving their allies enough time to gather their forces. They were hoping that taking the fight to her, choosing the time and place, would give them the advantage.

 

The plan was simple. Gather their motley crew of demons, portal them all to Lilith’s castle, and take her and her horde down as quickly as possible. The small armies that their new allies had promised were to take Lilith’s demons on while Magnus, Alec, Cain, Lempo, Belial, and Nessraya planned to find and ambush Lilith, and those closest to her, in a direct confrontation.

 

With the revelation that Simon had indeed managed to destroy Lilith’s ‘army’ of the undead with one of his grenades, they had decided to strike when Lilith was at her weakest - before she could make any more mindless slaves. Magnus just hoped what they had would be enough.

 

“I wouldn’t trust Belial anyway so it’s nothing we didn’t already know,” Cain said, gripping the hilts of his swords loosely. “As for Lempo, he’s probably smarter and more devious than he looks. What do either of you know about Succubi?” he asked.

 

“The Clave had a few files on them. They use their beauty to ensnare and bewilder their enemies on the battlefield. They make their enemies fall in love, or at least lust, at first sight then they attack when the gullible lay down their swords,” Alec said with a shudder.

 

“Hence the bubble of magic that I held around us at our meetings,” Magnus said to Cain. They’d had a second meeting the day before to discuss their strategy for the attack on Lilith. Nessraya and her cohorts had once more tried to get through their defenses. 

 

Magnus had found it mildly amusing, much to Alec’s chagrin, to watch Nessraya’s composure slip as she had tried in vain to ensnare Alec. Succubi didn’t understand sexuality. All they saw was a male resisting their advances without any effort. But in her anger, Nessraya had revealed that she had turned against Lilith because she didn’t want to share the spotlight with another woman. 

 

They all privately agreed that Nessraya saw herself as Queen of Edom material and didn’t want any competition from Lilith. As much as they hated Lilith, they could admit that her human form was beautiful and Nessraya probably saw her as a threat.

 

“Succubi make formidable warriors. When Nessraya lost her composure at our first meeting she showed her true face. Those teeth and claws that she hides are as deadly as her beauty. Succubi are vicious and hold grudges until the object of their ire is either theirs or dead. They are as happy to feed on their lover’s blood as they are to take them to bed,” Magnus surmised. 

 

Magnus only had a second to kick some dirt over the grave dirt message when his wards announced the arrival of a guest. Their guest turned out to be Lempo. And he was alone.

 

“Lempo, we weren’t aware that we had scheduled another council,” Alec said, stepping forward so that Magnus could hide the message properly. “Are the others with you?” he asked, confused and surprised that Lempo was there alone.

 

“No, I haven’t come about the battle. I wanted to meet with you privately, King Magnus,” Lempo spoke to Magnus but his eyes flicked to Cain. He didn’t bother excluding Alec, it was obvious that Magnus and Alec were a team and where one went, the other would follow.

 

Cain looked to Magnus and Alec. The small nod that he received from Magnus had him leaving them to it, returning to the wooden post that he had been hacking at when Catarina’s message had arrived.

 

“Follow us,” Magnus said, turning for the entrance to his and Alec’s home. Curiosity and suspicion niggled at him as he led the way into the throne room, doing his best to suppress the shudder that crawled down his spine from Lempo’s deep, despair-inducing voice.

 

Alec took his throne next to Magnus, eyeballing Lempo. He had been wondering when one of them would turn up alone. Each interaction with their allies left him with the sense that they held no loyalty towards one another.

 

In Alec’s opinion, it had only been a matter of time before one of them came seeking some favor that they didn’t want the others to know about. He had been banking on it being Belial, which only made him more curious about Lempo’s intentions.

 

“How can we help you?” Magnus asked when he and Alec were seated. With a snap of his fingers, he produced a chair for Lempo and watched as the demon settled his odd droopy form into it. Now that he had received Catarina’s message, he realized that Lempo resembled quite a few fertility statues that he had seen over his centuries. Which should have prepared him for what Lempo was about to say. But didn’t.

 

“I have a request to make. I would like you to open the rift for me,” Lempo said, seeing no point in drawing it out with sweet, ass-kissing words as Belial would do.

 

“We have already told you, the rift will remain closed,” Magnus said, a frown of annoyance settling over his features. “I will not have demons running loose in my home realm to feast on its inhabitants…”

 

“I do not feed on human flesh,” Lempo interjected, cutting Magnus off, continuing when both Magnus and Alec stared at him. “But I do wish to travel to your realm to feed. There are very few demons like me left. We do not feed on flesh or blood, but we do feed on human emotion. There is no other food source for me or my people. I need access to your former realm or we will perish.”

 

“It is too dangerous. I’m sorry but I can’t help you,” Magnus said, raising his hand when Lempo opened his mouth. “Even if you don’t physically harm humans, there is always a chance that something will escape with you. I’m sorry but the answer is no,” he said.

 

“I thought as much. That is why I came alone. It is also why I offer something in return,” Lempo said calmly, forcing his anger down. “In exchange for access to the mortal realm, I offer you a gift, Your Majesty, something that no other being, besides me or one of my people, can offer you. A gift for both of you,” he said, including Alec.

 

Alec looked at Magnus, seeing his own confusion mirrored on his husband's face.  _ What could the demon possibly offer that would make Magnus consider opening the rift? And what could it be that nobody else would be able to offer?  _ He wondered, knowing that Magnus was asking himself the same thing.

 

“Some mortals think of me as a god when I visit them. I let them think this because it inspires hope. And that is what I feed off. I visit those who despair, who have no hope, and I give it to them in exchange for their emotions. They give me their despair and hope, and I give them the one thing that they don’t have, the ability to procreate,” Lempo said with a wide smile.

 

Alec stiffened in his chair, his eyes narrowing. The smile on Lempo’s face was a little too forced for his liking. It didn’t reach the demon’s eyes. His stomach was also sinking. It sounded to him like Lempo was about to offer Magnus…

 

“If you grant me access to the mortal realm, I will offer you the gift of life,” Lempo said to Magnus, ignoring Alec for the moment. “It is no secret that the half-human offspring of demons are barren. It is within my abilities to change that. You could have a child, or many children, of your own, a family for you both to raise,” he said before turning to Alec.

 

“I do not know how what type of creature you are, King Alexander, or how you came to be this way. You look like a human but drink blood and you do not smell like one. You smell of one who has known death. But I think you were human once. Or something like it?” Lempo asked Alec, his smile widening when Alec nodded warily. Alec also smelled of Angel, a mixture that he found curious.

 

“Surely you must know that you no longer possess the ability to father offspring of your own? Death took that ability away from you. But I can return it to you,” Lempo said. Part of his power was being able to sense when a person was able to procreate. Alec’s seed was no more able to create life than Magnus’ was, something he could use to his advantage.

 

“In case you hadn’t noticed, Alexander and I are both males. Even if you had the ability to do this, it would be of no use to us. Neither of us is able to carry children,” Magnus said shakily, staring at the demon. A touch on his hand had him looking down, gratefully gripping Alec’s hand tightly when it was offered.

 

Alec could see Magnus’ composure slipping. They had once had a conversation, whilst babysitting Madzie, about becoming parents. Magnus had said that he had never considered becoming a father because he had never had a good role model for what a father was supposed to be. But after they had gotten home and put Madzie to bed, Magnus had forced him to watch some awful movie that he had secretly enjoyed. 

 

During the movie, Magnus had confessed to him that the other part of the reason that he hadn’t considered having children was that he was unable to. During Magnus’ confession, Alec had realized that it had hurt Magnus too much to dwell on the fact that he would never be a natural father so Magnus had put it out of his mind. Now Magnus was being offered a chance.

 

“I know how it works, I am the ‘god’ of fertility after all,” Lempo sighed, shaking his head at the ridiculous statement. “That is why I am offering a second part to our bargain. There are many mortal women who are desperate for a child but are unable to conceive, women who do not have partners. If you give me access to the realm, I will bring one back for you. I’ll bring you one each if that is what you desire,” he said.

 

“You’ll “bring us one back”?” Magnus asked incredulously, snapping the words out in his anger. “Like some broodmares, there to provide us with children with no thought for the women themselves?”

 

“You can keep the women around if that is your wish,”  Lempo said. The problem was easily solvable. “They will be able to survive the atmosphere once they are with child and the blood of the offspring mixes with their own. You only have to share the offspring with them until they die of their mortality then the offspring are yours to do with as you please. Or - if you prefer - you can get rid of the women as soon as the offspring are born. Then you wouldn’t have to share,” he shrugged.

 

“We need a moment of privacy to discuss this,” Alec said to Lempo, knowing that Magnus was on the verge of snapping. He gave Magnus a pointed look when Lempo agreed, waiting until Magnus waved his hand and created a silent bubble around them. “Don’t kill him, we need him,” he said.

 

“He can not be serious!” Magnus said furiously. A wild, irrational moment of hope had flashed through him when Lempo had said that he would offer a chance to sire children, something that he thought he had gotten over centuries ago. The thought of keeping women around to birth children for them had dampened it, however.

 

“Magnus…” Alec started before his mouth snapped shut. He didn’t know what to say. He knew that Magnus would never open the rift for a demon, for anything. And Magnus was far too selfless to open it for himself. But the demon was offering Magnus something that he never could. Which hurt. 

 

Alec wanted the rift to stay closed as much as Magnus did. They both had people on the other side that they cared for. Not to mention the rest of humanity. But he would never deny Magnus that opportunity if it was within his husband’s grasp.

 

“You can’t possibly think that I would go along with this?” Magnus asked, his head snapping around to stare at Alec when he heard the unsure tone Alec had spoken in.

 

“Of course not. I have more respect for you than that,” Alec said, a small amount of heat creeping into his voice before he let out a deep sigh. “He’s offering something that you never thought was possible,” he said.

 

Magnus took a deep, calming breath, thinking about what the ability to father children would mean to him. Yes, he would want a family. But raising children in Edom? That would never have been a part of his plan if he had been able to have his own kids. And certainly not at the expense of some poor desperate woman. A thought cut through his own musings.

 

“Did you consider the fact that you won’t ever be able to father children when you turned?” Magnus asked, tightening his grip on Alec’s hand. He hadn’t even thought about it. But he was thinking about it now with a lead weight where his stomach used to be.

 

“When I used to see my future, I saw a faceless wife and faceless children. But I never considered myself making children. I didn’t want to think about having to… perform husbandly duties in the name of honor and duty,” Alec said with a shudder.

 

“Husbandly duties?” Magnus chuckled, leaning out the way of Alec’s elbow. 

 

“You know what I mean. I couldn’t see myself… I never wanted to think about  _ that.  _ But when we got together, I did consider us having a family. An adopted family. When I thought about coming to Edom, I knew there weren’t going to be any adoption agencies. I accepted it,” Alec said with a tight smile. The,  _ and I came anyway,  _ was implied.

 

Alec hadn’t factored being unable to father children naturally into his decision to turn because he had expected them to adopt when they started a family, ever since they’d had the conversation. He hadn’t considered carrying on his own line. 

 

“So you aren’t considering his offer?” Magnus asked.

 

“No!” Alec said, horrified by the thought of keeping women around for the sake of having children. The image that flashed through his mind, of women sitting around in cages or shackled to their thrones, pregnant with their “offspring”, filled him with the worst kind of horror. It made him feel physically sick to his stomach.

 

“Beside’s what would I even do with a woman?” Alec asked with a shake of his head. He didn’t need to add that he wouldn’t be interested even if he could force himself to sleep with one. Magnus knew that he was the only one he wanted. And he knew that he was the only one Magnus wanted.

 

“Fertility treatment has come a long way, Alexander. You wouldn’t have to “do” anything with a woman,” Magnus said, wanting to be sure Alec knew what he was refusing.

 

“Magnus, I don’t want what he is offering. If you do…” Alec started before Magnus shook his head.

“No. I think I made peace with not being a father a long time ago. I too thought about adopting but this is the life we have chosen,” Magnus said. It wasn’t worth the risk.

 

“Maybe we could find some cute demon baby to adopt?” Alec said to lighten the mood. The sick feeling in his stomach refused to budge, growing instead. It had him shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

 

“Maybe. But we can’t let him through that rift, whatever he’s offering. He obviously has no compassion or regard for human life. He’s just as much a danger to mortals as any demon who would eat them,” Magnus said. He was about to drop his silencing spell when a hiss escaped from Alec. “Are you okay?” he asked.

 

“Yeah… I… I’m fine,” Alec said breathlessly, shaking off the ache in his stomach. A sharp pain had knifed through him for a second before it had gone. Shaking it off, he gestured for Magnus to drop the spell so that they could give Lempo their answer. “I’m fine,” he repeated when Magnus looked uncertainly at him.

 

“We’ve discussed it. I’m sorry but I can not open the rift,” Magnus said to Lempo when he dropped the spell, still side-eying Alec. 

 

“You mean you  _ won’t _ open the rift,” Lempo said, narrowing his eyes at the two kings. “My people will perish if we cannot get through,” he said, his voice getting lower with each syllable that grated out.

 

“We can’t help you,” Magnus said firmly. He didn’t want to be the cause of Lempo or his people's deaths. Unfortunately, the risk they posed to the mortal realm made his decision for him, he had to put his own people first. As much as he didn’t like it, tough decisions like these were part and parcel of ruling. One of the reasons he had never wanted the crown in the first place. 

 

Alec gritted his teeth when another pain knifed through his stomach, his fangs snapping out. The pain built, along with a feeling of dread. He hadn’t had many occasions since turning where he had felt pain. The mark on his forehead usually took care of that. The pain of hunger struck now and then but was easily appeased with a glass of blood. The ache in his stomach didn’t seem to want to let up though.

 

“Is this how you wish to rule? By condemning me and mine?” Lempo growled, standing when he saw the set of Magnus’ jaw and the grimace on Alec’s pale face.

 

“No, it is not how we wish to rule. But we have no choice. We will not endanger our people,” Magnus said, his eyes once more flicking to Alec when he caught a movement out the corner of his eye. Concern flooded him when he realized Alec was practically hunched over in his seat, gripping his stomach with his free hand. 

 

“If there is nothing else?” Magnus asked Lempo, sending an inconspicuous boost of soothing energy into Alec’s hand where it gripped his own. Tightly. They couldn’t afford to show an ounce of weakness.

 

Lempo had to fight his anger, furious that Magnus would dismiss him so easily. Only the memory of Shinigami’s demise stopped him from launching himself at the pair. King Alexander had decimated Shinigami without so much as touching him. With one last withering glare for the two Kings, he turned on his heel and stormed from the palace.

 

Alec let out a deep, guttural growl when Lempo left the building, the pain in his stomach building to a crescendo. Unable to stay in his seat, he slid to the floor, gasping automatically, even if he didn’t need the air.

 

“Alexander! What is it?” Magnus asked, unable to keep the alarm from his voice as he threw himself down on the floor next to Alec, pulling his husband into his arms.

 

“I... don’t... know,” Alec panted. He curled into a ball, a hiss escaping from between gritted teeth. With blurred vision, he looked up when he heard footsteps approach, to see Cain before the pain stopped. A wave of lonely emptiness crashed through him, as though some vital presence had disappeared as the ache subsided. The feeling of loss was unbearable, bringing tears to his eyes. 

 

“I saw Lempo leaving. What did he do?” Cain asked, staring down at Alec and Magnus. Alec lay with his head in Magnus’ lap, Magnus’ hands hovering over Alec’s curled up body as though unsure how to help.

 

“Nothing. He didn’t do anything,” Magnus said, completely bewildered. The tears that rolled down Alec’s cheeks scared him more than the sound of Alec’s pain-filled grunts. Using the sleeve of his shirt, he wiped them away.

 

“It wasn’t Lempo, I don’t think. I felt sick then there was… horrific pain. And now it’s gone,” Alec said, looking up at Cain. “It’s just... gone,” he repeated, his voice hitching in his throat. 

 

The entire experience reminded Alec of when his Parabatai bond with Jace had broken the first time - when Valentine had killed Jace. But it couldn't be that - he and Jace weren't bonded anymore. 

 

“What has gone?” Magnus asked, looking from Cain to Alec, and back to Cain. “What is it?” he asked, seeing understanding dawn on Cain’s face.

 

“Your Sire,” Cain said, kneeling down next to Alec, gripping Alec’s shoulder gently. “I have seen this before. When a vampire dies, all of the vampires that they have sired feel it. It is a loss that is felt deeply. I’m sorry, Alec,” he said softly.

 

“Simon is dead?” Alec asked, staring up at Cain in shock, his thoughts immediately focussing on his sister. He gripped Magnus’ hand when Magnus’ arms stiffened around his shoulders.

 

Magnus knew of the phenomenon but had never witnessed it with his own eyes before. His mind went blank.  _ It can't be true,  _ he told himself, over and over again. 

 

“Simon is your sire?” Cain asked, sadness welling up in him when both Alec and Magnus nodded at him through masks of shock. “I’m sorry for your loss. Simon wasn’t the best vampire but he was a good man. A kind man. He gave me hope and a fresh start. I shall keep his memory in my heart,” he said, bowing his head.

 

“But how?” Magnus asked through numb lips. Cain wasn’t the only one who Simon had given a fresh start. Before Simon had turned Alec, he had been facing Lilith and his immortal existence alone.

 

Alec just stared up at Cain, at a total loss. He didn’t want to believe it. The missing connection, to Simon, that he hadn’t even been aware of told him it was. “The grave dirt,” he mumbled, extracting himself from Magnus’ grip and standing, pulling Magnus up with him.

 

Magnus and Cain followed when Alec bolted for the loft. They found him in his training room, already pouring a message out onto the concrete floor, asking for any information on what had happened. 

 

Magnus snapped his fingers with an ache in his heart and gut, setting fire to the message and sending it when Alec looked up at him. His hand found Alec’s shoulder as they watched it flame up before disappearing.

 

Cain gave them a minute, making himself useful by making his way into the kitchen. The sadness he felt as he prepared a couple of glasses of blood weighed heavy on his heart. He knew it was nothing compared to what his friends must be feeling. Returning to the living room with the glasses in hand, he mixed Magnus a drink and handed it over when Alec and Magnus emerged from the training room.

 

Alec accepted his glass of blood, staring down into the dark red depths of his glass when he flopped onto the couch next to Magnus, in view of the training room. He wanted to be able to see when a reply was sent.

 

Magnus gripped Alec’s hand tightly, his stomach-churning as he thought about Simon, about all of his friends. Another loss was too much to take right now. No matter how many he had suffered through over the centuries, it never got any easier. The wait for information was already getting on his tightly wound nerves. He had a feeling that it was going to be a long night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't @ me 🙈🙈🙈


	17. Chapter 17

Alec stood up, pacing the living room for what felt like the hundredth time. They had been waiting anxiously all night and it was approaching dawn, according to his watch. It was still set to New York time. Hours and hours of waiting, with no news, had frayed his nerves until he was clinging on by a thread.

 

“Say the word and I will make you a portal, Alexander,” Magnus said. Again. He had offered many times over the last fourteen hours. And each time, Alec had deliberated, a torn expression marring his beautiful features, before refusing. 

 

Magnus wanted nothing more than to create a portal and for all of them to take it but he couldn’t leave. The mortal realm wouldn’t stand a chance if he did.

 

“I can’t,” Alec said tersely, gripping Magnus’ offered hand for a moment when he passed by the couch again before resuming his well-trodden path across the room. The need for information warred with his need to stay and protect Magnus. 

 

Alec knew that Magnus wanted to go too. But neither of them could leave. He refused to leave Magnus to face Lilith alone.

 

“You can. Go and find out what is going on then come back to me,” Magnus said, also standing. He needed to stretch his legs anyway. Crossing the room, he blocked Alec’s path, taking his husband’s hands in his own until Alec met his gaze. “Go and check on them. You can be there and back before the battle even starts.”

 

They weren’t just worried about Simon’s fate, they were worried about all of their family. Magnus had sent messages to Catarina, Izzy, Clary, Jace. Even Luke and Maryse. Nobody had replied. 

 

“The battle starts at dawn, Magnus. Twenty-four hours. There are no guarantees that I can get back in time,” Alec said, gripping Magnus’ hands tightly, searching Magnus’ face. “I can’t leave you here. If she finds out that you are here alone she might move against you,” he said.

 

“The only people who will know you are gone are me and Cain. Neither of us is going to tell her,” Magnus replied.

 

“And what if I can’t get back?” Alec asked, his stomach tightening at the thought of Magnus being trapped there alone. “What if they need my help and I can’t get back in time? What if Lorenzo refuses to send me back here? Or refuses to let anyone else?” he asked.

 

Magnus nodded. It was the same conversation that they had been having all night, going around and around in circles. Cain had gone to bed hours ago, asking them to wake him if they received any news but none had come.

 

Alec let Magnus tow him back to the couch, slumping down into it once more. He was torn. Should he stay, where he knew exactly what the danger was? Or should he leave and face the uncertainty of being able to return? At least he knew exactly what was happening here. 

 

“We could always ask Cain to go,” Magnus said. Again. 

 

“We need him here,” Alec sighed. “I don’t trust the others. Our ‘allies’. We need him with us,” he said when Magnus gave him the same look he’d worn every time the suggestion had come up.

 

“He is a skilled fighter but his presence isn’t vital,” Magnus said. Every time he had suggested it, Alec had point-blank refused to send Cain. 

 

“We will be stronger with him here,” Alec said, avoiding Magnus’ gaze. Cain would have been a good solution but they needed him there as much as Alec needed to be there.

 

A flair of light, coming from the training room, cut Magnus’ reply off. He still didn’t see why Cain couldn’t just portal to the mortal realm and return with the information they needed but Alec insisted. 

 

“Alexander, look. A message,” Magnus said, halfway out of his seat when Alec streaked past him.

 

Alec skidded to a stop in the doorway of the training room, staring down at the message that had appeared.

 

**_Magnus, Alec, it’s Catarina._ **

**_I’m sorry, I was in the middle of working a double at the hospital when I received a fire message from Lorenzo, instructing me to portal straight to his mansion. I wasn’t here to see your messages._ **

 

**_The messages needed an anchor and my apartment was the only safe place to build one so all of the messages have been coming here. I’ve been passing your messages on to the others but I’ve only just found these._ **

 

**_When I arrived at Lorenzo’s, the place was packed with warlocks from all over the city. He said that New York has been attacked._ **

 

**_Lorenzo had called an emergency cabinet meeting to gather as much information as he could. The Shadowhunters didn’t show up and they haven’t confirmed anything but there are wild rumors flying about._ **

 

**_Alec, I’m so sorry. The word is that Jonathan Morgenstern has been on a worldwide rampage. Reports are coming in from Downworlders on every continent. They are saying that he’s decimated Institutes all over the world._ **

 

**_When Lorenzo couldn’t get any concrete information, he asked for volunteers to fight if it was needed and for warlocks who couldn’t fight to shore up the defenses. Everyone else is being evacuated to the spiral labyrinth. Werewolves and vampires too. The Seelies refuse to get involved, hiding away in their realm._ **

 

**_How did you know something is going down?_ **

 

**_Catarina._ **

 

Alec stared at the message, one part of his vampiric brain speeding through scenarios, another part worrying for his family, another part grieving for his lost friends. Even if nothing was confirmed. A hand on his shoulder had him looking up.

 

“Nothing has been confirmed yet, Alexander,” Magnus said, squeezing Alec’s shoulder as he unknowingly parroted Alec’s thoughts. 

 

“Jonathan Morgenstern has been on a rampage and I’ve lost this invisible connection with Simon,” Alec said, refusing to state the obvious. 

 

Alec stood behind his husband, reading over Magnus’ shoulder when Magnus knelt on the ground and dug a handful of grave dirt out of the barrel to pour a message out.

 

**_Catarina,_ **

 

**_The sire bond between Alec and Simon has been disrupted._ **

**_Are you able to go to the New York Institute and try to get some information? We don’t know what is going on, we haven’t heard anything but it happened hours ago. We have been waiting for a reply from the others. At least now we know why we haven’t received one._ **

 

**_If you can get any information for us, we would be grateful._ **

 

**_Magnus._ **

 

“Wait, ask her if she can find anything out about LA too,” Alec asked before Magnus could set fire to the message and send it.

 

Magnus amended the message and sent it, his stomach clenching. He and Robert had never been bosom buddies but the man was Alec’s father, his father-in-law. And Max lived there too.

 

Alec felt like he was living in a waking nightmare. Institutes all over the world gone, his family and friends missing, the link with Simon gone and no information about what had happened to any of them.

 

They only had to wait a few minutes before a new message appeared under Magnus’ reply, Alec once again reading over Magnus’ shoulder.

 

**_I’ll portal to the New York Institute to see what I can find out. I’ll send Malcolm Fade a fire message too. He’s still the High Warlock of LA. I’ll let him know that I’m in contact with you both and ask him if he can get any information._ **

 

**_I’ll let you know what’s happening as soon as I can. Just hang tight and try not to worry. I know that’s easier said than done but don’t lose hope._ **

 

**_Catarina._ **

 

Magnus grabbed another handful of dirt and poured out a new message;

 

**_Thank you. And please, be careful._ **

 

**_M._ **

 

“Come on, I need a drink,” Magnus said, tugging at Alec’s hand until Alec followed him into the kitchen. He busied himself with getting Alec a glass of blood and conjuring a neat whiskey for himself. A martini wasn’t going to cut it. Snapping his fingers, he added a large dash of whiskey to Alec’s blood.

 

“We should go and wait…” Alec cut off when Magnus shook his head.

 

“The wait will drive you mad if you sit out there,” Magnus said before taking a large gulp of his drink, tipping Alec’s glass while he was at it.

 

Alec tipped his drink back, draining the glass in two gulps. His stomach almost rebelled from the large whiskey but it settled after a moment.

 

“Do you think we should wake Cain?” Alec asked, not having anything else to say. He didn’t dare voice his fears. Saying it out loud, that their entire family was gone, might make it true.

 

“Let him sleep,” Magnus said, settling into a chair at the island. Cain would need the rest. They all did but there was no way either of would be getting any, any time soon. Too much was up in the air.

 

Alec settled next to Magnus, gripping Magnus’ hand tightly, knowing Magnus was just as worried about Catarina, and probably Raphael, as he was for his family.

 

They sat at the island in silence for another hour before it became too much for Alec. Always the protective big brother and Head of the Institute, he wasn’t used to sitting around when others were in danger.

 

Magnus followed Alec into the living room, his eyes flicking to the training room doorway when he entered the room. The glow of a new message had him following Alec hurriedly, his turn to read over Alec’s shoulder when his husband stopped in the doorway.

 

**_I’ve received word from Malcolm. He was already at the Institute. Robert and Max are fine but they are the only survivors. I’m so sorry, Alec, nobody else in LA made it._ **

 

**_I also portalled to the Institute here in New York._ **

**_The Institute is still standing but the park that surrounds it is almost completely destroyed. There’s a scorched crater half the size of Williamsburg where it used to be. I don’t know what has happened but it looks bad._ **

 

**_The wards on the Institute are up. I scanned it with my magic. Nobody with demon blood can get through. I’m not sure but I think the Shadowhunters are holed up inside. I’ve tried sending fire messages to Jace, Clary, and Izzy but they aren’t working._ **

 

**_When I received Malcome’s reply, he confirmed that it was Jonathan and that he has taken out fourteen Institutes all over the world. Jonathan confirmed it himself to Robert Lightwood. There were no survivors. Jonathan also gave Robert a message to pass on to the New York Institute, which he did._ **

 

**_Robert has been trying to get through to the New York Institute ever since but he’s had no luck. He did say that he has spoken to Maryse. She is okay but has had no contact from anyone either. She said Luke was called to the Institute but he’s not answering his cell and neither are any of the others._ **

 

**_I've informed Lorenzo of the developments and I'll keep trying. I’ll let you know when I get in touch with the others._ **

  
  
  


**_Thank you, Catarina, but you won’t be able to get through until they drop the wards. I designed them specifically to ward against those with demon blood entering in case the Institute was ever attacked, at Alec’s request. Only I can remove them if the Shadowhunters refuse to drop them. And I’m stuck here. You’ll have to get in touch with Jia Penhallow, see if there’s anything she can do to contact them._ **

 

**_M._ **

 

Magnus set his reply alight and stood, pulling Alec into a hug. Alec didn’t need to breathe anymore but a deep, shaky sigh shuddered out against his neck. “Your Mom and Dad, and Max are okay,” he said, his fingers raking through the soft strands of Alec’s hair.

 

Alec didn’t answer. Half of him was thanking Raziel that half of his family was okay. The other half was desperate for news about his siblings. The extra wards that he had requested from Magnus had him kicking himself. He’d hoped that they would never need those protections. Now they were nothing but a hindrance.

 

The loss of so many Shadowhunters weighed heavily on Alec’s mind too. He might not be one of them anymore but they were people that he was related to, friends that he had gone on missions with and trained with during visits to other Institutes or when they had visited his. They were still his people.

 

Magnus let Alec go when Alec pulled back, watching as his husband paced the training room. Being unable to do anything other than wait, he felt useless. Seeing Alec shrug his shirt off and hook a magically reinforced punching bag up to the concrete ceiling beam, he snapped his fingers and conjured a small workbench and some ingredients.

 

Magnus set up his makeshift workbench up in the corner, knowing that Alec wouldn’t leave the room until they heard back from Cat. Taking a seat, he started making some more potion grenades, wanting to make himself useful. The steady rhythm of clinking chains as Alec pummelled the punching bag did nothing to relax him.

 

Alec took his aggression out on the punching bag for hours, hitting it over and over again until his knuckles split open. Each time it happened, he barely let them heal before starting again. The fourth time it happened, he jolted in surprise when he suddenly found a pair of boxing gloved laced onto his hands. 

 

Magnus had to replace Alec’s gloves twice when Alec punched the bag hard enough to destroy the gloves. The sound of Cain moving around the loft had him leaving the training room to explain everything that had happened. He thanked the Vampire when Cain offered to give them some space, before returning to the training room and his work, steadily building a pile of the grenades.

 

The useless feeling that had taken up residence in Alec’s stomach didn’t let up until another message finally appeared. Forgetting all about the punching bag, he crossed the room in an instant to read it, Magnus on his heels.

  
  


**_Hey guys, it’s Jace. I’m with Catarina. I’m fine, and so are Clary and Izzy._ **

 

**_Lorenzo demanded that Jia got in touch with us when he couldn’t get through to anyone from the Institute. Catarina told me that she let you know what Jonathan has done. It’s true. We were tracking him for days, unable to find him. He destroyed 14 institutes. There are only 22 left._ **

 

**_Jia sent out a group of elite Shadowhunters to investigate when she didn’t hear anything from a couple of them. They are completely wrecked, bodies everywhere. It was a massacre._ **

 

**_The rest of the Institutes were put on lockdown when we received a message from Dad, explaining that Jonathan was responsible and was planning to take every Institute out. He and Max are okay. Helen is beside herself though. Her siblings were visiting an uncle in London but her parents were still in LA. There’s no news from her uncle but London was attacked too._ **

 

**_Jonathan told Dad that he was coming for us so we prepared as best as we could. Everyone with Heavenly Fire waited outside the Institute. We attacked Jonathan as soon as he got there. A few people were injured but Dad said that he was able to kill without even having to touch anyone so we blasted him as soon as he got there, stopping him from killing anyone._ **

 

**_We destroyed him. But Simon got caught up in the blast. He wasn’t supposed to be there. We told him not to come, to stay as far away as possible but he didn’t listen. Jonathan took the brunt of it but Simon had crept up behind him, trying to be a hero._ **

 

**_It didn’t destroy Simon but it… fried him pretty bad. We dragged him inside and put the wards up. Thank the angel they only stop people of demon blood from entering once they are up. Actually, thank you, Magnus. We were all too weak after using the Heavenly Fire on Jonathan. Anything that attacked would have finished us off. Luckily, the Heavenly Fire was diluted and nobody was harmed from using it._ **

 

**_Catarina has agreed to come to the Institute to heal Simon. Helen’s doing what she can but it’s not enough. Something else happened. The Heavenly Fire didn’t kill Simon but it turned him back into a mundane._ **

 

**_Clary and Izzy haven’t left his side since we got him to the infirmary. They’re trying to be strong for each other but he looks bad. He looks like Jonathan did before he came back. At least that will never happen again. Jonathan is gone for good, along with the Heavenly Fire. We used it all to kill him, turned him to ash._ **

 

**_We have to get back to the Institute but I just wanted to let you know what happened. We thought that the sire bond between Simon and Alec might have broken and we didn’t want you to worry. Sorry that it took so long to let you know. I'll send another message as soon as we know more about Simon._ **

 

**_Take care,_ **

**_Jace._ **

 

Alec almost sank to the floor with relief, his knees feeling oddly weak. Only Magnus, turning him and pulling him into a hug kept him standing. He sank into Magnus’ embrace, gripping his husband tightly.

 

“Your family is okay,” Magnus said, rubbing soothing circles into Alec’s back, his own sigh of relief mingling with Alec’s.

 

“Our family. Simon though…” Alec muttered, feeling guilty for his relief. The others might be okay but Simon’s situation sounded bad. As did Helen’s.

 

“Simon is a fighter, he’ll pull through. And Catarina rarely loses a patient. He is in good hands, I promise,” Magnus assured Alec. A shuffling sound behind them had him pulling back, looking around to see Cain.

 

“Everyone is okay?” Cain asked, having heard a few snippets of conversation.

 

“Everyone except Simon. He was hit with Heavenly Fire and turned into a mundane. They are doing what they can to save him though,” Magnus said while Alec got himself together.

 

“He’s a mundane?” Cain whispered, wild hope flooding his veins and settling in the gulf that had opened up where his stomach used to be.

 

“Cain… it’s all gone… there’s no way for you…” Alec trailed off, watching the hope fade from Cain’s intense gaze. He hadn’t even thought about how Cain would be affected by the news. It was no secret that Cain hated being a vampire. “I’m so sorry,” he said.

 

Cain waved Alec off, pain crashing through his gut. Just for a moment, he had thought he might finally have a way of ridding himself of Lilith’s curse. Holding his hands up when Alec took a step forward, he turned his back on them.

 

“You have both had a long night. Go get some sleep, You will both need it for the battle tomorrow,” Cain said, taking up his swords once more before turning for the training yard. “I’ll keep watch,” he said over his shoulder.

 

Magnus gripped Alec’s arm when Alec made to follow Cain, shaking his head when Alec looked at him. He watched Cain go, feeling bad for their friend. Of course, Cain would want a cure, maybe would even have had it if he had returned to the mortal realm with Simon. He had no doubt that Cain would have gone with Simon.

 

With a sigh, Alec followed Magnus to their bedroom, silently closing the door behind them. Tugging his shirt and pants off, he stood clutching them for a moment, completely lost. Never before had he felt so useless. 

 

Magnus discarded his own clothes, staring at the hunch of Alec’s back. “Alexander…” he started.

 

“All of those people, Magnus. So many…” Alec said, his voice hitching in his throat. So many Shadowhunters lost with no word of survivors. Sure, Jonathan was gone. But there were still demons that the mundanes would need protecting from. It was a serious loss, one he wasn’t sure the Clave would be able to recover from. Not to mention, so many of his people were dead. “It could be us tomorrow,” he said.

 

Magnus crossed the room, hearing the despair in Alec’s voice. Pressing himself against Alec’s back, he wrapped his arms around Alec’s waist, needing to feel him close. “I won’t let that happen,” he said, holding on tightly.

 

Alec turned in the cage of Magnus’ arms, taking Magnus’ face in both hands. Searching Magnus’ face, memorizing it, he pressed his forehead to Magnus’.

 

“I can’t lose you, Magnus. I can’t face this existence without you. Promise me you will make it out of this alive,” Alec said, almost choking out the words.

 

“Only if you do. You aren’t the only one who wouldn’t survive… please, please don’t do anything that will get you…” Magnus couldn’t finish. Looking up into Alec’s eyes, he saw the raw, desperate need there, feeling it, himself, in the marrow of his bones. Without a word, he snapped his fingers, casting a silencing spell on the room.

 

Alec pressed his lips to Magnus’ in a bruising kiss, trying desperately to convey every ounce of love he felt the man who clung to him just as tightly as he was holding on. Tugging Magnus’ hands, he silently pulled Magnus into the bathroom and flicked the shower on. If they only had the guarantee of tonight, he wanted to make it count.


	18. Chapter 18

Alec let his eyes travel over Magnus’ sleeping face, trying to memorize every pore and line. The time would have been approaching dawn back in their own realm. The sky outside should be that shadowy predawn gray. Instead, the usual orange glow of the Edom atmosphere broke through the windows and lit Magnus’ face up. 

 

All of the times Magnus had watched him walk out of the door, heading for patrol, flitted through Alec’s head.  _ Is this how Magnus had felt? Scared, anxious about whether I would return?  _ He wondered. He knew that he couldn’t afford the fear that crept through his gut but he couldn’t stop its passage. 

 

While he and Cain had their marks, protection that made them pretty much indestructible, Magnus didn’t. Yes, Magnus’ magic was formidable. Magnus was a force to be reckoned with. But Magnus didn’t have the same guarantees that he and Cain did. He wanted to ask Magnus to sit it out, even if he knew that would never happen. 

 

Alec’s grip on Magnus’ shoulder, where Magnus rested on his chest, tightened infantesimally when he looked at the clock on the wall. It was almost time for them to leave. The sounds, from outside, of a gathering army, had been reaching him for the last half hour but he had wanted Magnus to have a little more sleep. So instead of waking Magnus, he had watched him.

 

Time, however, stood still for no man. Alec watched as Magnus’ eyes rolled under his eyelids, Magnus’ breathing pattern changing, and knew that his husband was on the brink of waking. Without saying a word when Magnus’ eyes blinked open, he pressed his lips to his husband's forehead.

 

“Are you overthinking things, Alexander?” Magnus asked croakily, looking up into Alec’s eyes. The worry he saw there was plain as day, even if Alec pulled a small, tight smile onto his face. It didn’t quite reach his eyes.

 

“It’s almost time,” Alec replied, unable to stop his eyes from sweeping over Magnus’ face once more. They had made love for hours before exhaustion had claimed them both, falling asleep wrapped around each other, clinging desperately to each other. Even while they slept. It wasn’t enough.

 

“I have something for you,” Magnus said, untangling himself from Alec’s cool embrace. The heat wasn’t as stifling in the loft as it was outside but it was still warm enough for him to miss the cool touch of Alec’s skin. He pressed his lips to Alec’s when his husband’s grip tightened slightly before Alec let him go.

 

Alec sat up when Magnus climbed from their bed and disappeared into his closet. Magnus appeared a moment later, clutching three hangers and a small gift box. Intrigued, he took and opened the box when Magnus handed it over. A small red silk package rested inside. An Onamouri Charm, he realized, his still heart aching.

 

“You made this, for me?” Alec asked, lifting the beautiful charm out of the box, relinquishing it to Magnus when Magnus reached for it. 

 

“I want you to have every protection possible today,” Magnus said, taking the charm in his hand and raising his left hand so that Alec could see his own charm, secured to a bracelet around his wrist. Everything in the loft was a replica of their stuff, except for this. It had been in his pocket when he had left for Alicante, the day he had come to Edom.

 

“I have my mark,” Alec said, implying that Magnus didn’t.

 

“You do…” Magnus said, his eyes sweeping over Alec’s body. Raising his hand, he curled his fingers and focussed his magic on Alec, silently uttering a complicated spell that he never thought he would ever use on his husband. On anybody, ever again, for that matter. But he needed to test a theory.

 

A strange sensation overcame Alec, a deep desire to spring from the bed. That was exactly what he did, his limbs feeling heavy, as though they didn’t belong to him. Jumping up, he performed a series of perfect pirouettes, albeit slowly, silently asking himself why he was doing it but unable to stop himself. It was like his brain was telling his reluctant body to move without his permission.

 

“What… the… fuck?” Alec panted out, watching Magnus’ fingers curl as he spun.

 

Magnus released his hold on Alec’s body, his stomach sinking. “Just as I thought,” he said, climbing from the bed once more. Rounding the bed, he took Alec’s shaking arm in his hands and fastened the charm to Alec’s wrist.

 

“What was that?” Alec asked, staring at Magnus. Control had returned to his body but it had left him shaken. Magnus had taken control of him. He had been helpless but to obey his husband’s whims.

 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to do that to you but I had to know. It was a spell taught to me by my father centuries ago, during our time together,” Magnus said, barely able to meet Alec’s gaze. “Not many warlocks know how to perform it. Maybe there aren’t many demons who know, either. But I don’t want to take that chance.”

 

“Hey, you’re not that person anymore,” Alec said, tugging Magnus’ head up by his chin, to meet Magnus’ gaze. Magnus had told him of some of the things that he and Asmodeus had done when Magnus was a child. The shame was there in Magnus’ eyes once more. “When was the last time you used that spell?” he asked.

 

“Not for centuries,” Magnus said, taking a deep, shuddering breath. Did Alec think he still used it?

 

“Exactly. Because you know it isn’t right to take control of another person. You’ve moved on from that part of your life, grown as a person, learned from it,” Alec said, sweeping his hand up to cup Magnus’ jaw. He knew the horrible, sick feeling that came from controlling another, from when he had encanto’d Magnus. If there was anything he knew about Magnus it was that Magnus would hate that feeling as much as he did.

 

“You were a child, following your father's instructions. You could walk around with your own personal enslaved army. But you don’t. Because you’re a good person, Magnus. It’s why you helped so many Downworlders find their way,” Alec said. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth when Magnus leaned into his touch, Magnus’ glamour flickering.

 

Every time Magnus revealed another part of his past, the past that he wanted to stay buried, Alec would remind him of why he helped so many Downworlders. It was so they wouldn't have to go through what he had as a child. If he’d had someone other than Asmodeus there to show him the way, his life would have been a lot different. 

 

“I was hoping it wouldn’t work. The mark protects your body from physical harm but it doesn’t stop magical influences on your mind. That is why I created these.” Magnus said, gesturing to the outfits on the hangers he had taken from his closet. 

 

“The weapons aren’t the only things I’ve been working on, Alexander. It occurred to me that we never fully tested what the mark was capable of stopping. Or more accurately, what the mark wasn’t capable of stopping,” Magnus said, watching Alec pick the clothing up. After the one disastrous time he had experimented, they had never tried again. 

 

Alec pushed down a flash of guilt to inspect the gear Magnus had created; black pants and jacket made of thick leather, a pair of leather gloves, fingerless save for the pointer and middle fingers - perfect for archery, and a pair of knee-length heavy-duty combat boots. 

 

“It’s perfect, thank you,” Alec said, silently thanking the angel that Magnus would have some extra protection. Taking Magnus’ hand in his, he pulled his husband into the bathroom to share a quick shower.

 

When they were done in the bathroom, Alec grabbed a fresh pair of boxers and a black t-shirt and started pulling the gear on, seeing Magnus do the same with a matching outfit. It was all surprisingly lightweight and molded perfectly to his body. The stiff-looking material moved easily with his movements and the collar of the jacket protected his neck. 

 

Alec was lacing the boots on over the tight leather pants when Magnus once more disappeared into his closet. 

 

Magnus retrieved the holsters he had made for their weapons, strapping a double holster around his thighs and pushing his arms through the loops of another which would sit around his shoulders and waist. His magic, as strong as it was in this realm, wasn’t inexhaustible. The holsters were a backup in case his magic failed. He emerged from his closet, stopping in his tracks when he found Alec gawping at him.

 

Alec couldn’t stop staring, his dick giving an interested twitch in his tight pants. Magnus looked hot! In fact, if he hadn’t known Magnus was a warlock, he would have sworn that his husband was one of the Clave’s finest.  _ Finest looking _ , his chaotic ass thought, eyes traveling up and down Magnus’ body.

 

“What?” Magnus asked, self-consciously tugging at his sleeves. Alec’s mouth was hanging wide open. With a snap of his fingers, he fixed his hair and makeup, putting his stripes on. He was used to wearing stylish clothes, not protective gear and weapons. Not that his gear wasn’t stylish. Just because it was there to protect him, it didn’t mean he couldn’t look good. Alec looked hot, with a capital H, in his gear.

 

“That leather is doing things to me,” Alec said, stalking forward to wrap his arms around Magnus’ waist. Leather was definitely Magnus’ thing. “I like your makeup like this,” he said, searching Magnus’ face. The look reminded him of when they had first met, heavy black shadow on Magnus’ eyes. His husband looked equally as intimidating as he did beautiful.

 

“Warpaint,” Magnus mused, his lips quirking up at the corners. They were at war and Alec still took a moment to compliment him. “You should try some, it does wonders for your confidence,” he chuckled, pushing Alec’s hands away from his ass.

 

Alec rolled his eyes at the gleam in Magnus’. “Go on then. Maybe I can scare all of our enemies away,” he shrugged, seeing the intrigue that flashed in Magnus’ eyes. He blinked when Magnus snapped his fingers and handed him a mirror. The reflection that stared back at him was certainly a look, the black eyeshadow just as intimidating as Magnus’ was.

 

“Or maybe they’ll throw themselves at the feet of the handsome Vampire King and beg for his mercy,” Magnus leered, ingraining the image of Alec’s face into his memory. He hadn’t thought it was possible for Alec to look any hotter but there he was, looking less like a snack and more like an all you can eat buffet with smokey black eyeshadow on his lids. The shadow made the green and gold flecks in Alec’s hazel eyes stand out.  _ Beautiful.  _

 

Magnus caught Alec’s lips in a brief but hard kiss. He knew they were both putting off the inevitable moment when they had to go and deliberately put themselves in harm's way but the banter settled his stomach. It reminded him of what he was fighting for. He also knew that the time when they could put it off no longer was approaching. So he curled his fingers once more and tested Alec’s gear out.

 

“I wove protective spells into the material of your gear to stop any magical influences taking hold of you,” Magnus said, silently commanding Alec to hop up and down on the spot. A grin spread over his face when Alec didn’t so much as twitch. 

 

“I’m guessing they worked?” Alec asked. Magnus was making the same gestures as he had before - when Magnus had taken control of his body - but nothing happened. There was no undeniable desire to spin around the room or bark like a dog, something that he was grateful for. Somehow, he didn’t think he would survive that with his dignity intact.

 

Magnus nodded, satisfied that he had done what he could to protect his husband. The rest was up to Alec now. Ending the spell he was trying to weave over Alec, he took up Alec’s weapons holsters from where he had dropped them on the bed and handed them over before gathering the third outfit while Alec strapped them on.

 

“For Cain,” Magnus clarified, leading the way out of their bedroom when Alec was ready. They found Cain in the kitchen, dressed jeans and a t-shirt. 

 

Magnus explained what the gear was for and handed the clothing over to Cain, woven with the same protections as their own. With barely a ‘good morning’ exchanged, he ushered Cain out of the kitchen to go get changed.

 

Alec silently poured himself a large glass of blood from the jug that Cain left on the side, knowing that he would need all of the strength he could get. When Magnus didn’t show any signs of getting his own breakfast, he raised an eyebrow at his husband.

 

“I’m not hungry,” Magnus shrugged. He didn’t think his stomach could handle anything right then. The rise of Alec’s other eyebrow had him conjuring a few protein bars with a sigh. “Happy?” he asked.

 

“It’s not exactly french toast but it will do,” Alec said, draining his glass and pouring another from the jug.

 

“Maybe you should get some straight from the source?” Magnus mused, holding his hand out, wrist up. Baggies kept his husband alive, so to speak, but it didn’t give Alec the boost that warm, fresh blood did.

 

“I’m fine with this,” Alec shook his head, turning when Cain reentered the kitchen, dressed in his own gear. Bloodlust might heighten his reflexes and instincts but he wouldn’t weaken Magnus for those benefits. “Come on,” he said, leading the way to his training room.

 

They were a silent group as they loaded their holsters with weapons. Magnus pushed two Kinjals into his thigh holsters, a Katana into the sheath at his back and two Indonesian Kriss daggers into the holster around his waist, trying not to think of their significance. They made effective weapons. That was what mattered. 

 

Cain strapped a broadsword to his hip, close to his right hand and threaded a mace into the holder the other side, preferring a medieval weapon. He also selected one of Alec’s longbows and strapped it to his back before strapping a quiver of arrows to the front of his right thigh, easily reachable. It was one of Magnus’ refillable quivers.

 

Alec strapped a brace of daggers around his hips, perfect for throwing, shoved two short swords, which had a similar balance to  _ Seraph Blades _ into his thigh holsters, and selected his favorite compound bow. The bow was stronger and had a further reach than his usual recurve bow. Tucking a long dagger into each of his boot-tops, he straightened up and started digging into his pile of specialized arrows, distributing them between himself and Cain.

 

“Are we ready?” Cain asked, looking from Magnus to Alec and back again. He followed when both men nodded and led the way. 

 

They strode through the throne room and out into the training yard, the sound of growls and snarls growing more pronounced with each step. Taking hold of Magnus’ left elbow as Alec took hold of his right, they jumped over the wall that surrounded the house when they reached it, landing on the other side with bended knees.

 

Magnus willed his stomach to settle when they landed on the other side, looking out over their gathered force. Demons filled the desolate plains outside their home as far as the eye could see, all of various shapes and sizes. Just from where he stood, he could see several fights break out amongst them already. 

 

“We’d better get there quick before they start killing each other,” Alec muttered, watching their allies approach. He wondered what the demons must be thinking. To them, he, Magnus, and Cain probably looked like three humans, leading a horde of demons into a fight with another horde of demons.

 

“Are we ready?” Magnus asked by way of greeting when Belial, Lempo, and Nessraya reached them.

 

“We await your portal,” Belial replied, looking out over the gathered army.

 

With a nod, Magnus turned to Cain. “Hold the image of Lilith’s castle in your mind,” he said, pressing his fingertips to Cain’s right temple. When Cain had summoned the image, he waved his right arm, creating a portal, and focused his magic to enlarge it. Using the image of Lilith’s castle, he anchored the portal in place.

 

As predicted, the swarm of demons turned as one and vaulted for the portal. Alec watched as they mindlessly dove through it. It didn’t take long, most of them already seemed to be clamoring for blood. He offered his hand and strength to Magnus.

 

“It’s okay, I barely made a dent,” Magnus said, his magic and energy still strong. The rise of Alec’s eyebrow had him drawing strength from Alec with a small smile. Snapping his fingers, he summoned the potion grenades that he had been working on and distributed them between the leaders before they joined the demons that poured through the portal.

 

“Were they camped outside like this when you were here?” Alec asked Cain when they emerged from the portal to find a second army already awaited them on the plains outside a towering castle. His stomach sank when he saw just how large Lilith’s force was, easily three times the size of theirs and already engaged in battle with the first line of their own demons.

 

“No. I didn’t know she had this many either,” Cain said, staring at the force that defended Lilith’s castle. It seemed Lilith hadn’t shown all of her cards when he had been her ‘guest’.

 

“She knew we were coming,” Magnus said, quietly, just loud enough for Alec and Cain’s enhanced hearing, as he glanced at their ‘allies’. None of them looked particularly shocked, making him wonder which one of them had betrayed them. 

“So much for our plan,” Cain muttered, snatching his broad sword out of its scabbard when a group of demons approached them. The plan had been to invade Lilith’s castle using a map that he had drawn up. Lilith’s force was supposed to be inside, not camped out like this.

 

“The plan remains the same, only the location has changed,” Alec said, unslinging his bow and nocking an arrow. “We find Lilith and we take her down,” he said to the group, letting his arrow loose when everyone agreed.

 

Magnus threw himself into the melee when the demons engaged them, sending out a series of fireballs to slam into the enraged demons. It occurred to him that he didn’t know whether he was fighting ally or foe. Lilith’s army was just as eclectic as their own. The only demons he recognized by a glance, were Belial, Lempo, and Nessraya. If any of them could tell the difference, he didn’t know.

 

Magnus continued his assault with the fireballs as he watched Nessraya and Belial work together. The demons made an effective team. Nessraya would turn on the charm for those who came for her and Belial would sneak in and slit their throats when the enthralled demons halted their attack on her. He wasn’t in the least bit surprised by how sneaky the attack was.  

 

What Magnus was surprised by, was the ring of demons that surrounded him when he turned his attention back to the task at hand. They had separated him from Alec quite effectively.

 

Cursing his inattention, Magnus fashioned his magic into a whip, using it to keep the large group of demons at bay when they tightened the circle around him. He lassoed it around his head, letting his wrist snap out, again and again, watching some dart back. Others weren’t as lucky, their heads and limbs separating from their bodies when he yanked his whip back. 

 

Cain cut a wide path through the onslaught, engaging with his sword when the demons turned to face him, and letting his mark take care of his foes when they fought back. He watched with a heavy heart as demon after demon erupted into flames or exploded before his eyes, having to remind himself that they would use their teeth and claws, and whatever poisons they possessed, to kill him if they could. 

 

It still didn’t sit right with Cain. This mindless destruction was the exact reason that he had hidden away from society for so long. It didn’t matter what species they were, the demons still fell by his mark or his sword. 

 

Alec had fought many demons and many fights over his career as a Shadowhunter but this was beyond anything he had ever experienced. While he had always had his runes to enhance his hearing and skill, everything was now amplified by his senses, almost overwhelming for its ferocity. The battle, already raging at full intensity around them pushed down on him for a moment until he spotted Magnus.

 

Magnus was surrounded

 

Alec waded through the demons, firing arrow after arrow at his husband's opponents. They were supposed to be sticking together but he had turned his back for a moment to take out a wraith flying right at them as soon as they joined the battle. Upon turning back to Magnus, he had found them separated.

 

The sight of so many demons surrounding Magnus turned Alec’s vision red, anger flooding him. Magnus might be giving them a run for their money with his magical whip but the desire to protect him pulsed in his veins. The smell of shed ichor and the sound of enraged dying screams pulsed through him, ramping up his reflexes as surely as bloodlust would. 

 

Vaulting over the heads of the demons that surrounded his husband, Alec put his back to Magnus. He let them come, watching them explode before his eyes, already nocking his bow for those who would inevitably follow and fill the gaps.

 

“You’d think they would be smarter than this,” Magnus muttered, knowing that Alec could hear him over the roar that surrounded them. “They just keep coming,” he yelled, launching a potion grenade into the crowd.

 

“The intelligent ones will be with Lilith. These are just the footsoldiers. I don’t think half of them have a brain cell to share,” Alec said, following Magnus’ lead. Yanking grenades from the holders on his weapons belt, he launched them in all directions, in quick succession, one after the other. His attack gave them a moment’s respite. 

 

Alec turned to Magnus to make sure he was unharmed, his stomach lurching when he saw one determined demon snake through Magnus’ defenses. Grabbing Magnus’ arm, he yanked his husband closer and spun, feeling the heat against his back when the demon exploded behind him. He also heard the grunt of pain, through the demon’s final shriek, that Magnus tried to hide.

 

Magnus’ fingers found his side when he’d felt a line of fire slice across his ribs. Probing the wound, he found that it wasn’t deep, more a surface wound. Thanks to the thick material of his gear. It had stopped the demon’s claws from shredding his ribs like paper.

 

“Heal it,” Alec said, clamping his hand to Magnus’ ribs. Looking at the wound was unnecessary, he could scent the blood, even over the scents of death that assaulted him from the battle that continued to rage around them.

 

Magnus would have waved Alec’s concern away, knowing that it was just a flesh wound. If it wasn't for the dilation of Alec’s pupils. He knew that Alec could scent the demon part of his blood whenever it was spilled, and Alec had said he could also taste it when they shared blood. But he also knew that Alec could scent the human half too.

 

That temptation wasn’t something his husband needed, especially not with the highly charged situation that they were in. So Magnus directed a small amount of healing magic to his ribs.

 

Alec nodded when Magnus patted his hand. He’d felt the magic under his palm. Taking Magnus’ hand in his, he drew his husband further into the fight, searching for Cain and the others. 

 

They fought their way through the horde, releasing their grip on each other when it became apparent that they needed their hands free. But they stayed close, keeping each other in sight, fighting side by side.

 

Alec once again drew his bow, aiming for anything that got too close. He had resigned himself to the fact that he didn’t know whether he was fighting demons from their own side or Lilith's and made peace with that fact. As far as he was concerned, if they came for him or Magnus, they died. 

 

Magnus drew his Katana, letting his red magic lick up the side of the blade. Alec was a step ahead of him, using his bow, the occasional thrown dagger, and his mark to take care of those who came at them. He took the rear, lashing out with blade and magic when a demon got too close. It was an effective strategy, for the most part.

 

Now and then, a demon would get through Magnus’ defenses, using tails with stinging barbs or claws to slash at him. Luckily, his gear mostly protected his body, deflecting teeth and claws. 

 

The gear, however, didn’t extend to Magnus’ hands or face. He had miscalculated, realizing his error in not making himself a pair of gloves, his hands crisscrossed with cuts. One whip-quick slash of a demon’s tail grazed his cheek until a wave of his hand cut off the demon’s air supply. A nasty way to die, but that was war.

 

Magnus sent his healing magic into his hands and face, purging himself of any taint that might be left behind by contact with the demons’ poison. The last thing he needed was for a wound to fester and kill him. He also used his magic to soothe his muscles. Unused to fighting for long periods of time, they ached with fatigue, his chest heaving with the effort he had already expended.

 

Alec was tempted to find a quiet place for Magnus to catch his breath for a moment, seeing his husband’s fatigue. The battle barely made a dent in his energy but then again, he didn’t have to breathe. The expression on Magnus’ face, however, stopped him from making the suggestion.

 

The fight turned into one long, mindless struggle for Magnus. Time seemed to stretch out as he hacked with his magic-infused Katana and fireballs. Demon after demon fell before him and Alec, their ichor splattering them, again and again. For every demon that either of them felled, another two would take their place in an endless cycle. He had to keep using his magic to wipe the ichor away when the more poisonous spots started singing holes in his gear.

 

Realizing that he needed to start conserving his energy, Magnus changed his tactics when he felt his magic start to flag. Instead of firing fireballs, which required more energy, he shaped his magic into small balls, something akin to bullets. Instead of firing them in a focused wave to pick the demons off, one by one, he sent them out like scattershot, watching his magic tear through the demons. 

 

It wasn’t enough. The demons still came, mindlessly throwing themselves at Magnus for what felt like hours on end, still getting through his defenses whenever they could.

 

Alec realized that the further they got, the smarter the demons seemed to become. They were learning to join forces, Attacking in combinations. They had to stop at one point and stand back to back when they were once again surrounded.

 

“They’ve maneuvered us into position,” Alec growled, once again snatching a handful of grenades and launching them into the crowd. If his heart still worked, it would be pounding in his chest. “We must be getting closer to Lilith, these are the smarter ones,” he muttered.

 

Magnus didn’t reply, conserving his energy for fighting. The demons crept closer, more filling the gaps when his scattershot felled the first lines. He pushed down his panic, locking it away, and changed his tactics once more. His set his magic to lick up his blade once more and he yanked a Kriss dagger out of his holster, sending his magic up the shorter blade for those who got too close.

 

Slinging his bow over his back when their foes got to close for the long-range weapon, Alec yanked his short swords out of their holsters instead. Pressing his right shoulder back into Magnus’, he started to circle when Magnus took the hint and turned with him. He kept them moving in a circle, letting his mark take care of those who got too close. The temptation to dart out and attack with his swords was strong but that would mean leaving Magnus’ back unprotected.

 

Magnus started to draw energy from the atmosphere when he started flagging once more. The combination of his magic-infused weapons and the blasts he sent out through his feet whenever he used them to block an attack or kick out in a combination attack, was starting to take its toll. 

 

One enterprising demon lashed out at Magnus, it’s barbed tail wrapping around his right hand and the dagger that he clutched. He sliced through the demon’s tail with his Katana, severing it and sending his magic into its body. The shriek it let out grated on his nerves, sending a shudder down his spine. 

 

“They’re getting too close,” Magnus shouted from between gritted teeth, pain ricocheting up his arm from the barbs in the demon’s tail. The demon was destroyed but he’d lost his dagger to it. The pain fueled his movements. Sheathing his sword for a moment, he gathered his magic, raising his hands to focus himself, and brought them back down in a slamming gesture. The magic that he had gathered slammed into the ground, sending their enemies flying back from them.

 

Magnus spun during the slight reprieve and grabbed Alec’s hands when the demons bounded to their feet. Meeting Alec’s gaze, seeing the nod there, he kept tight hold of Alec’s hands and started spinning on the spot. It was a move that they had practiced once, Alec flying around them. The muscles in his arms strained to hold Alec up but it worked. He effectively used his husband like a battering ram, their enemies frying before their eyes as they came for Alec and failed to reach him. 

 

Alec watched a wall of fire erupt around them as he flew through the air, anchored only by Magnus’ strong grip. Nodding when Magnus looked up at him, he let go of Magnus’ hands and flipped in the air to land lightly on his feet next to Magnus. The fire raged around them for a moment more, giving him a chance to look Magnus over.

 

Magnus didn’t hesitate to take Alec’s energy this time, needing to heal the worst of his injuries. Especially his throbbing hand. Reaching up, he gripped Alec’s wrists when Alec cupped his face, drawing energy from the skin contact. His chest heaved and the cuts on his hands and face stung from the sweat that rolled down his face and coated his body. 

 

Not having the energy to spare for anything fancy, Magnus simply knitted his skin back together, knowing that there would be some scarring. It didn’t matter, he would need the energy for when they found Lilith.

 

“You can portal home and rest for a while, Magnus,” Alec tried, seeing how tired Magnus looked. If he was still a Shadowhunter, he knew that he too would be flagging. His thumb skimmed over the purple ridge of scar tissue that now ran from Magnus’ eyebrow to his jaw. He wanted to replace his thumb with his lips, to kiss it and all Magnus’ other hurts away. 

 

“You’d love that, wouldn’t you? Then you could hog all the glory for finishing Lilith off without me,” Magnus quipped, his stomach fluttering from the devotion and worry he saw in Alec’s eyes.

 

“Yes, I would. Because you would be safe,” Alec said, pulling Magnus closer and spinning them when another demon came for his husband. His mark took care of the demon but it had been entirely too close for his liking. 

 

“We’re in Edom. When is it ever going to be safe?” Magnus asked. One glance saw the fighting continue around them, demon tearing into demon, others making a beeline for them. 

 

Alec silently conceded Magnus’ point. They would never be safe in this realm, could never relax their guard. At least that meant their family would be safe. Taking Magnus’ hand once more, he kept one of his short swords in hand, watching Magnus draw his Katana once more before they pushed on. 

 

Magnus searched for any sign of their allies as he and Alec once again threw themselves into the melee. He hadn’t seen any of them for a while. So much for sticking together. The demons had done an excellent job of separating them. It was harder than he had realized to keep tabs on their allies when he was fighting for his life and that of his husband.

 

 “There,” Alec said when he spotted Cain, making a beeline for a clearing in the battle. Following Cain’s trajectory, he saw what Cain was aiming for. “Lilith,” he muttered. And she wasn’t alone.

 

Magnus set a bubble of calm around them, a protective shield that stopped anything from coming closer than five feet to get his breath back. He scanned the horde that surrounded them, seeing what Alec was looking at. Lilith.

 

“That sneaky bastard. I thought for sure Belial would be the one to betray us,” Magnus muttered, his eyes narrowing when he saw who stood beside Lilith, obviously comfortable at her side. Glancing around once more, he also saw that Belial and Nessraya were running at Lilith, parallel to his and Alec’s position.

 

Cain skidded to a stop when he saw Lempo standing next to Lilith, glaring at the treacherous demon.  _ So this is how she knew we were coming,  _ he thought, noting the area of calm that surrounded the Demon Queen and the Traitor, a good sixty feet in diameter with the pair of them standing in the calm center. Stalking forward with his broadsword raised, he decided to put Lempo out of their misery.

 

Magnus portalled him and Alec to the edge of the melee, keeping a careful distance between them and Lilith and Lempo when they stepped out of it. Lempo The Traitor had a certain ring to it. The demon’s deception sent a surge of adrenalin through him, energizing him slightly. Betrayal and the thought of revenge were powerful motivators.

 

They were joined by Belial and Nessraya, the demons gaping at Lempo, just as surprised as he and Alec were. Looking over Lilith’s shoulder, Magnus saw Cain's approach from the opposite direction, to Lilith’s rear. A subtle shake of his head had Cain stopping at the edge of the battle.

 

“Some alliance,” Alec growled at Lempo, glaring at the demon across the thirty-foot distance, wanting to wring his droopy neck. It was only then that he realized that he hadn’t spotted the demon once since they’d portalled to the battlefield that surrounded Lilith’s castle. “I thought you hated her?” he asked.

 

“I do. She, however, is the lesser of two evils. You should have opened the rift,  _ King Magnus _ ,” Lempo sneered, ignoring it when Lilith made an indignant noise next to him. “When you denied my request, I came to her. Allying myself with her is better than starving to death,” he said.

 

“A mistake which you will pay for,” Magnus said, stepping up beside his husband. By the way Lilith scanned the fighting demons, he knew she was searching for Cain. “What did she offer you?” he asked, keeping his eyes on Lilith and Lempo. Looking at Cain would only give his position away.

 

“What do you think I offered him?” Lilith asked imperiously. “I offered him full access to any realm he desired if gave me information on your ‘alliance’ and pledged his loyalty and his demons to me,” she said, a smirk flitting over her face. It hadn’t been hard, who would choose ideals over starving?

 

Lilith turned to Belial and Nessraya. “I wasn’t surprised to find that you had gone behind my back, Belial. You always were a sneaky bastard. And Nessraya, I could have counted on your weakness for a pretty face. However, I offer you both the same as I offered Lempo. Full access to any realm you desire. All you have to do is break your treaty with Magnus and Alec, and join me once more,” she said.

 

“Why would I join you? These two make a formidable team,” Belial said, gesturing to Magnus and Alec. He hadn’t forgotten how Alec had killed Shinigami with a look. 

 

“For precisely that reason. There are only  _ three _ of them.  _ We _ are the four most powerful demons in this realm.  _ We  _ have thousands at our disposal. What do they have? Where is their army without your forces?” Lilith asked, her eyes flicking to Alec’s hand when she saw his grip tighten on his bow. 

 

“Without that rift, we will never be sealed up in this realm again. You both know as well as I do that Magnus will never open it. Do you want to be trapped here forever?” Lilith asked, smiling when her words sank in.

 

The desire to strangle Lempo to death intensified for Alec. Lilith had said “three”, not two. Lempo had told her everything. “You know she will kill you all when she is done with you, don’t you? Lilith doesn’t handle betrayal well. That’s why she wants the rift open, she wants to kill Jonathan for betraying her. It’s too late for that anyway, my family already killed him,” he said.

 

“No! He was mine!” Lilith shrieked, silently vowing to avenge her son. He was supposed to die by her hand and she would make those who had hurt him pay for what they had done. She badly wanted to snap Alec’s neck but she wasn't that stupid. That’s what Lempo, Belial, and Nessraya were for. She wouldn’t go up against Alec’s mark.

 

Magnus shook his head when Belial turned to him, his eyes narrowing when he saw the cold calculation on the demon’s face. Nessraya was better at hiding it but he still saw her eyes flick from them to Lilith and back. His power built when Belial opened his mouth.

 

“Can you offer the same? Will you open the rift and give us access to the mortal realm?” Belial asked Magnus and Alec. Getting rid of Lilith was the ultimate goal and he wasn’t foolish enough to think that she wouldn’t try to make him pay for his betrayal of her. But she had a point. He could always take care of her later if Magnus refused.

 

“No,” Magnus said, sealing their fate with a single word. They were surrounded. It didn’t matter. It didn’t change the fact that the safety of the entire mortal realm was dependant on his decision. He had no doubt that the horde would turn on them but they wouldn’t get through the rift while he was alive. The only regret he had was that Alec and Cain were there with him. 

 

Alec almost jumped a foot in the air when Nessraya let out a shrill shriek. The sound almost brought him to his knees. It was like a thousand nails being dragged down a chalkboard. 

 

The reason for the noise became apparent when she stepped toward Lilith and her demons stopped fighting. The command to withdraw. She had joined Lilith and would no longer fight along side them.

 

“Seems her offer is better than yours,” Belial said with a shrug, turning away from Magnus and Alec to join Lilith, Lempo, and Nessraya.

 

“Put your strongest shield around yourself. She  _ will _ send them after you. If the rift fails, our realm is lost,” Alec said to Magnus when the fighting stopped. Every demon that surrounded them stilled, as though waiting for a command.

 

“Alexander…” Magnus trailed off when he saw the pleading look in Alec’s eyes.

 

“Cain and I have our marks. She can send every demon at her disposal against us. You don’t. Please, Magnus. I Can’t lose you,” Alec pleaded. He could withstand anything. As long as Magnus was safe.

 

Magnus drew his power around himself in a shield, stronger than diamond and clearer than crystal. Unease settled in the pit of his stomach when he saw Alec’s expression settle into a mask of indifference as his husband turned to Lilith and her new cohorts.

 

Alec didn’t say a word. All that mattered to him was that Magnus survived. And without the rift, their family would die. Families all over the mortal realm would be ripped apart, unable to withstand the onslaught. Children like Madzie would never get the chance to grow up and discover their potential. He wasn’t going to give Lilith a chance to try for Magnus.

 

Meeting Cain’s gaze over Lilith’s shoulder, Alec nodded once before launching himself at the four demons who stood between them, seeing Cain do the same. A growl ripped its way up his throat, his fangs snapping out.

 

Cain didn’t stop to think about the consequences of his and Alec’s plan. Dashing forward when Alec nodded, his own fangs snapped out. He let murderous rage fill him when Lempo, Belial, and Nessraya skittered back from Alec, the demons trapped between him and Alec.

 

“The mark,” Lilith screamed, scrambling back from Alec when she saw him move, aiming right for her. Spinning on the spot to escape his attack, a snarl of rage and fear escaped her when she saw Cain coming right at her from the other direction.

 

Alec put on a burst of speed when Lilith started to transform so she could escape. Only, he wasn’t aiming for Lilith. He was aiming for Cain. She just happened to be stood between them. The traitors were the first to die when they tried to raise their weapons against him, each of them exploding before his eyes, a split second before he launched himself at Cain. With the intent to kill.

 

Cain directed his rage at Alec, launching himself at the other vampire with one intention. To kill Alec. Lilith couldn’t transform fast enough to save herself, trapped between them and unable to lift a finger against either of them. Pain exploded from his forehead when he and Alec clashed with Lilith. 

 

The pain that radiated from Alec’s forehead when he clashed with Lilith and Cain was indescribable, ricocheting throughout his whole body in an explosion that hurtled him backward.

 

“Alexander!” Magnus screamed, the horror-filled word ripping from his lips. He almost lost control of his shield, time seeming to slow down and speed up, all at once when Alec raced forward. Everything moved in slow motion. 

 

The pain of seeing their future flash before his eyes ripped into Magnus’ rolling stomach, bile creeping up his throat. He had known that they planned something despite Alec’s protestations, had felt it in the depths of his soul. And now he knew.

 

Magnus fell to his knees when Alec and Cain clashed, unable to keep his eyes open when a blinding flash of blue light lit the sky up, surrounding his husband and friend. And Lilith. Her screams ripped through the air. The power of Alec and Cain’s marks rushed over his shield, almost destroying it. 

 

Only the thought of the rift failing managed to stop Magnus from giving up and dropping the protection that he had surrounded himself with. Focusing on the thought of his family and friends having to fight the horde, he poured everything he had into the shield.

 

A deep rumble, that sounded like the crack of thunder almost deafened Magnus, rolling through the trembling ground beneath his knees. His head snapped up, a mushroom cloud of thick black smoke filling his vision. Looking around, he saw demons disintegrate around him as the mushroom cloud flew up into the atmosphere, setting off a chain reaction.

 

_ No, this isn’t how it ends. He has to be alive, _ Magnus’ mind snarled at him, cutting through the shock and despair that almost had him giving up. Almost. Keeping his shield around him, he sent tracking magic out, searching for any sign of Alec or Cain. 

 

Finding a faint signature that pulsed with his magical touch, Magnus portalled to the source. It originated 100 feet behind where he had crouched. Upon stepping out of the portal, his stomach lurched when he saw Cain lying on the ground, unmoving, surrounded by the ashy remains of demons. 

 

Only the fact that Cain’s body was intact, and not a smoldering heap of ash, stopped Magnus from crumbling, giving him hope that Alec too was in one piece. 

 

Magnus sent out another pulse of tracking magic, fighting through the thousand turbulent emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. His husband needed him. A flicker, over 100 feet to his right, had him grabbing Cain’s arm in a vice-like grip. 

 

Hauling the unconscious vampire through another portal, Magnus ignored the destruction that had started all around him to keep a tight hold of Cain. If he let go, the unconscious vampire would be lost in limbo, just like his father. Only the hold he had on Cain, guiding his friend when Cain couldn’t do it himself, stopped Cain from slipping away.

 

“Alexander!” Magnus yelled when he found his husband, lying just as still as Cain was, as he emerged from his portal. Relief flooded him, singing in his veins as he flung himself down on his husband. He had to fight the lump in his throat, a sob escaping him.

 

The danger of sticking around became apparent when Magnus realized that the ground was breaking up around them, rivers of molten lava pushing up through the deep cracks with a heat that seared his lungs and robbed his mouth and throat of moisture. Thick smog surrounded them, blocking his view of the atmosphere. Not that he needed it. It was obvious what was happening. Edom was falling.

 

The knowledge that they could go home barely brought Magnus any relief. Nothing would until he could check his husband over. He couldn’t do that here, however. It was too dangerous. 

 

Waving his arm in a semi-circle, Magnus created a portal and used every ounce of his strength to drag Cain and Alec’s unmoving bodies through it. He didn’t give Edom a second glance when the swirling vortex claimed them, holding on deathly tight to Alec and Cain’s wrists, silently begging them to hold on too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't kill me.


	19. Chapter 19

Magnus stumbled out of his portal, collapsing on the ground with Alec and Cain’s wrists still held firmly in his grip. He had aimed the portal for the infirmary at the New York Institute, bypassing his wards in an instant.

 

“Help!” Magnus yelled as loudly as he could, dragging Alec’s body to him, scanning his husband’s still body with his magic for any spark. “Stay with me, Alexander. You promised me forever,” he muttered, pounding on Alec’s chest out of desperation. 

 

The squeak of rubber on floortiles had Magnus looking up, seeing Izzy gaping down at him, through the blur of his tears. 

 

“He can’t leave me,” Magnus cried desperately, pounding on Alec’s chest once more. “Stupid, stubborn Vampire! Come back to me,” he yelled in Alec’s ear.

 

“Magnus… what happened?” Izzy breathed, throwing herself down on the floor where Magnus, Alec, and Cain lay in a heap between two beds. Pushing aside her shock and the wild happiness that had filled her at the sight of them.

 

“He and Cain… they… they attacked each other. They killed Lilith but… but…” Magnus choked out, shaking Alec’s body. “Why isn’t he waking?” he asked. He didn’t know how to help. There was a spark in Alec’s brain but his husband was out cold.

 

“Magnus… he has the mark of Cain,” Izzy whispered, staring at Magnus. The mark wasn’t decimating him, even though he had pounded on Alec’s chest. She sifted through the information Magnus had given her. Alec and Cain had attacked each other. Reaching out, she slapped Alec’s face, shaking Magnus off when he made to grab her wrist, horror stamped all over Magnus’ face.

 

Nothing happened when Izzy made contact with Alec’s deathly pale face. No blast. “Magnus, the mark is gone. He needs blood.”

 

Pulling a dagger out of her thigh holster, Izzy made to drag it over her wrist before Magnus snatched it out of her hand. 

 

“I’ll do it,” Magnus said, slicing a cut into his arm, ignoring the line of fire when blood started flowing from the wound. He didn’t need to remind Izzy that she had been addicted to vampire venom. And besides, Alec was  _ his  _ husband. Pressing his bleeding wrist to Alec’s slightly parted lips, he willed his husband to drink as his blood started to trickle into Alec’s mouth.

 

Izzy looked up when she heard the door open, seeing Clary return from the kitchens with two cups of coffee in hand. “Help me,” she called to her parabatai, gesturing to Cain’s still form. 

 

“Is that Cain? What are you doing?” Clary yelled, watching Izzy slap an unconscious looking Cain around the face, her stomach plummeting. Until she realized that his mark hadn’t pulverized her parabatai.

 

“He needs blood,” Izzy said, her eyes flicking back to her brother once more. Alec still wasn’t moving.

 

“Magnus? Alec?” Clary asked, seeing them huddled on the floor next to Izzy. When she saw what Magnus was doing, she put the coffees down and snatched the dagger. Cutting into her own arm, she pushed the bleeding cut against Cain’s lips. “What are you…? The rift?” she asked, setting Cain’s head in her lap as Magnus had done with Alec.

 

“Edom is destroyed,” Magnus said, pushing his arm harder against Alec’s lips. Complete and utter relief filled him when he felt Alec’s lips move against his skin. He didn't even complain when Alec’s hand clamped onto his wrist and Alec’s fangs sank into his skin, too busy thanking the angel for Alec’s life.

 

Izzy crossed the infirmary and used her stele to gain access to the medic’s supply closet. If she received a reprimand for filching a few baggies of blood from the fridge, she wouldn’t care less. It would be worth a thousand reprimands. Her brother was home!

 

Upon returning with an armful of blood, she found that Cain had also latched onto Clary’s arm, both vampires sucking away. Dropping the baggies on the nearest bed she used her Stele to snap out a couple of fire messages. She would need help.

 

Magnus’ emotions calmed as Alec drew more blood, Alec’s venom flooding his system. Wrapping his free arm around Alec’s head, he clutched his husband to him, slumping over Alec’s head. He couldn’t give two shits about the deep, husky moan that escaped him, too caught up in the pleasure and relief that spiked through him to care.

 

“Magnus, I’ve got blood here for him,” Izzy said, kneeling down next Magnus and her brother. She ripped into the plastic bag so Alec could drain it like a juice-box, trying desperately to ignore the longing that surged when she heard the moans that escaped Magnus and Clary.

 

Clary almost growled when she felt a hand on her arm, leaning further over Cain’s head. Pleasure sizzled in her blood, completely wiping away the pain that had flared when Cain’s fangs had sunk into her arm a minute after Alec had latched onto Magnus.

 

“Magnus, Clary, they’ve taken enough,” Izzy said, trying to break through the fog that had descended on them. Both of them looked too far gone to listen to her.

 

Magnus would have quite happily let Alec take more, making no move to try and pull his arm from Alec’s mouth. Luckily, Alec came to his senses faster.

 

Alec pulled his fangs out of Magnus’ arm when he opened his eyes to see his husband slumped over him, fear for Magnus curling through his gut. Snaking his tongue over the wound on Magnus’ wrist, he closed it up before trying to sit up. He felt as weak as a day old kitten.

 

The door opening once more had Izzy thanking the angel when she saw Jace and Luke. “Help me with them,” she said, gesturing to Magnus and Alec as she reached out to tug Cain away from Clary. She snatched her hand back when Cain let out a deep growl.

 

“Izzy… what…?” Jace dashed forward with Luke hot on his heels when he saw Alec, Magnus, and Cain. Shock and confusion swept through him, all jumbled up with happiness and then panic when he saw Cain feeding on Clary.

 

Cain came to his senses when he felt a firm hand grab his wrist. Blinking up at a blonde shadowhunter, he realized what he was doing and retracted his fangs.

 

Jace scooped Clary up and deposited her on the nearest bed. As soon as he had her prone, he checked her over for other injuries but she was unharmed, even if she was a little out of it.

 

“What’s going on?” Jace asked. Yanking his stele out, he sent Catarina a fire message. He’d just passed her in the ops center, heading out to pick Madzie up from his mom’s store. Maryse had offered to babysit while Catarina had come to heal Simon.

 

“The rift?” Luke asked, bending to help Izzy pick Alec up. The vampire waved them off, though, insisting they help Magnus first so he took Magnus under the armpits when Izzy grabbed the warlock’s ankles. They lifted him and deposited him on one of the four beds before they scooped Alec up too. They put him on Magnus’ bed when they realized there was going to be a shortage.

 

“I don’t know… the last thing I remember was… going for Cain’s throat. Then I woke up here,” Alec said, wrapping Magnus in his arms, laying flush to his husband’s body. Taking Magnus’ chin in hand, he tugged Magnus’ face up so he could inspect him. 

 

“‘m okay,” Magnus muttered, his head still a little wooly, more than happy to snuggle into Alec’s cool embrace. Sleep tried to claim him but Alec wasn’t letting him off that easily.

 

“Magnus said that Edom has fallen,” Izzy said as she and Luke hefted Cain into the last remaining bed next to Magnus and Alec’s bed. She wanted to climb into the bed with Alec and Magnus and strangle the life out of them with a bear hug but Simon chose that moment to wake up for the second time since his run-in with the heavenly fire.

 

“Are we having a party?” Simon asked, roused by all the activity. Pulling himself up onto his elbows required maximum effort but a beaming smile broke out on his face when he saw the reason for the ruckus. “Hey, Magnus and Alec are here. And Cain… wait, why are they here? What happened? Are the demons coming? Why is Clary out of it?” he asked when he saw Clary lying on the bed next to his.

 

The party grew by one more when Catarina pushed through the door. “What’s so import… Magnus?” she gasped, dashing into the infirmary when she saw her friend.

 

“Catarina!” Magnus said with a tired smile, taking her hand in his when she came up alongside his bed. “Alec was just about to explain what’s going on. Weren’t you, Alexander?” he said, his tone brooking no argument.

 

After a quick scan to determine what was wrong, Catarina sent her magic into Magnus’ body while they talked, encouraging Magnus’ red blood cells to reproduce. Aside from the blood loss, Magnus had sustained, he was surprisingly healthy, considering he’d just come back from a hell realm.

 

“Sure,” Alec muttered, using the baggie of blood that Izzy handed him as a distraction to avoid looking Magnus in the eye. Accepting a strangling hug from her, he drained the bag, and a second one before beginning the story of the battle they’d just? faced, sipping a third while he talked.

 

Cain was more than happy to let Alec do all the talking, draining the baggies that Izzy handed him. Strength returned with every bag he consumed. He made sure to point out that he wanted no part in Alec’s crazy plan at first.

 

“...me and Cain attacked each other, trapping Lilith between us. It was the only way,” Alec said, tightening his hold on Magnus when it looked like his husband was about to sock him in the jaw.

 

“You could have killed each other! What were you thinking?” Magnus demanded, his stomach-churning. Even if Alec was lying there, a solid presence beneath his head. He still missed Alec’s heartbeat.

 

“I was thinking that our marks would protect us. We couldn’t kill each other, the marks wouldn’t let us die so when we attacked each other, the power transferred to the only thing in between us. Lilith,” Alec said with a shrug. It was a solid plan! “What happened after we killed her? Wait, we did kill her, right?” he asked.

 

“Yes, you killed her. I knew you were planning something!” Magnus muttered mutinously, still mad that Alec had lied to him. Thinking back, he realized that Alec hadn’t actually lied to him. Alec and Cain had been discussing strategy whenever he had walked into the room. They just hadn’t told him about it.

 

“You wouldn’t have let us do it if you’d known. It was supposed to be a contingency plan but then those treacherous bastards turned on us. She would have sent the entire realm after us until one of them got past me and Cain. Then the rift would have fallen. I knew we wouldn’t die,” Alec said confidently. 

 

“Why did you have to try and kill each other though?” Luke asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. He stepped back so that Catarina could move to Clary’s bedside.

 

“It had to be strong enough to take Lilith out. The marks had to recognize the other’s intent to kill. It was the only thing that would have been strong enough to kill Lilith. The intent to maim wasn’t big enough,” Alec said, wondering when Cain was going to jump in and take some of the heat off him. Everyone was staring.

 

“And did your contingency plan involve destroying your marks and Edom?” Magnus asked, his eyes flicking between Cain and Alec.

 

“Our marks?” Cain asked, sitting up quickly to be sure he’d heard Magnus correctly. “They’re gone?” he asked, wild hope pulsing through his veins.

 

“Yes, would you like me to prove it?” Magnus asked, just as mad at Cain for indulging Alec’s plan, no matter what the outcome was. The devastation that he’d felt when he’d thought Alec was dead would stay with him for a while yet.

 

“Yes. I would,” Cain said. Not that he wanted anyone to get hurt. He just wanted to be sure. 

 

Jace complied with Cain’s wishes. If they said the mark was gone; it was gone. Crossing to Cain’s bed, he poked Cain in the arm, hard. When he didn’t burst into flame, he moved to give Alec and Magnus a back-slapping hug each. 

 

“Are you wearing makeup?” Jace asked Alec when they hugged. Alec’s face was covered in soot and dirt but he was pretty sure that was makeup on Alec’s eyelids.

 

“Warpaint,” Alec shrugged, rolling his eyes when Jace smirked. He couldn’t care less.

 

“The marks must have canceled each other out, each mark destroying the other in a last-ditch effort to protect you both. I suppose if the mark couldn’t affect your bodies it had nowhere else to go,” Cat speculated when she had finished replenishing Clary’s blood.

 

Alec nodded. It was the only explanation. He hadn’t foreseen this outcome, however. All he’d wanted to do was get rid of Lilith in the fastest way possible. He wasn’t complaining one bit, glad to see the back of the cursed mark.

 

“Edom was destroyed with your little stunt,” Magnus said, pulling the head of their bed up with a snap of his fingers and settling into Alec’s embrace. He felt much better for the magic that Catarina had healed him with. Still tired, but better. “With Edom gone, there was no rift to stay and protect,” he said.

 

The fact that they were home finally sunk into Magnus’ brian. So much had happened. The eternity of solitude that he and Alec had been facing was now a thing of the past. He didn’t have long to ruminate on their change of circumstances any further when the door burst open once more. 

 

Maryse halted in the doorway, gripping onto the door tightly to stop herself from collapsing where she stood. Madzie had insisted that Magnus and Alec were back and had dragged her through a portal. She hadn’t dared hope it was true until she saw them lying in the infirmary bed.

“Alec! Magnus! I knew you were back!” Madzie yelled, dashing across the room to jump onto the bed. “I told you they were back! I felt Magnus’ magic!” she said to Maryse over her shoulder.

 

“Sweetpea! We missed you,” Magnus said, sandwiching Madzie in between him and Alec after she let them out of the chokehold hug she’d tried to smother them in. A small chuckle escaped him when Alec fussed over her.

 

“How?” Maryse asked, regaining the use of her legs to follow after Madzie. She wrapped Alec and Magnus in a hug as soon as she made it to the bed, clutching them to her and squashing Madzie in the process. She didn’t care how it was possible, just thankful that they were home.

 

Alec hugged his mom, enduring it with good grace when she refused to let go of him. He wasn’t complaining all that much. As much as he had told himself that he’d been ready to say goodbye to his family, being surrounded by them just reinforced how much he’d missed them.

 

Magnus hugged Maryse back just as hard, marveling that she was as pleased to see him as she was to see Alec. The last time they’d spoken, she had told him she loved him, called him family. It felt good to have a family.

 

Between the two of them, Alec and Magnus told them everything that had happened since Magnus had left for Edom, excluding only their reunion and wedding. Since none of their family members asked about the wedding, Alec had to assume that Simon had never said a word. One glance at the vam… mundane said as much.

 

“Tell us what happened here, with Jonathan. And Simon,” Magnus asked when the tale was told and Maryse had ripped Alec a new one for his plan to kill Lilith.

 

“Well, Your Majesties…” Jace started with a deep bow before Clary elbowed him in the ribs.

 

“Someone else,” Alec groaned, knowing that he was never going to live it down. He wouldn’t be surprised if he found a plastic crown on his desk in the morning. That brought him up short. It wasn’t his desk anymore. Just as this wasn’t his Institute anymore.

 

“The clave is in meltdown. Between the attack on Alicante and the decimation of fourteen Institutes, we lost hundreds of shadowhunters,” Luke said, pulling up a chair into the middle of the room to get comfortable before he continued.

 

“Jonathan Morgenstern wiped out a huge chunk of the European Institutes and there are only two left standing in North America. This one, and California. Luckily, Mexico wasn’t hit so we can take reinforcements from them if we are desperate. But all of the Institutes and Alicante are in temporary lockdown,” Luke said with a heavy heart. Many of his old friends were dead or still missing.

 

“We?” Alec asked.

 

“Jia needs all of the shadowhunters she can get. The Clave has never been hit like this before, over half of our people are gone. I’ve been stationed here to help Clary and Jace run the Institute while the politicians figure out what to do,” Luke replied.

 

“They will rebuild. It’s what the Clave does,” Magnus said. Not diminishing their losses. He knew how hard it was to lose people they loved. But the Clave would always find a way.

 

“They need to rebuild soon. While the institutes are in lockdown, demons still invade this realm,” Maryse said in a matter of fact tone. 

 

“Maybe Jia will ask you to become a shadowhunter again?” Izzy said to her mom from where she perched on the side of Simon’s bed, clutching his hand. Catarina had done an amazing job of healing him. Not even a mark left behind. Although, she couldn’t regrow his hair or eyebrows. Those would have to grow back on their own. He was still just as handsome as he had been before, in her opinion.

 

“Maybe a couple of months ago I would have jumped at the chance to get my runes back in a situation like this. The angel knows Jia will need every able-bodied person that would be willing to help. But, I’ve had gotten to a good place. I’ve fully accepted that my life as shadowhunter is over and done with,” Maryse said. She was content with the bookstore and her private life was looking up. 

 

“If Jia needs a consultant, I would be happy to help but otherwise… I’m happy with what I’ve got. Especially now that my boys are back. I can help them plan that wedding,” Maryse said, her eyes sparkling at the thought of a big celebration. It was what they all needed.

 

“Simon, what happened to you? I’m sure it’s a riveting tale,” Magnus said, using every last bit of self-control that he possessed not let his face crack when Alec sucked air next to him.

 

“They all tried to leave me behind. Again!” Simon said, jabbing his finger in the collective shadowhunters’ direction. “I told them I could help but they went all macho on me. Even Izzy and Clary! I totally swooped in and saved the day,” he grumbled.

 

“You were toasted like a marshmallow,” Jace said incredulously. “You’re only alive because we dragged you in here and managed to get Catarina here. If you’d stayed away as we told you to, you would have been fine!”

 

“I could have taken him,” Simon shot back.

 

“Uhuh, with what? Your skinny arms and lame fighting ‘skills’ or your “super awesome vampire mojo”?” Jace asked with an eye-roll that would rival one of Alec’s finest.

 

“You know nobody can withstand my supreme Encanto skills. And my fighting skills aren't lame!” Simon said, ignoring the way everyone was staring at him and Jace. 

 

“You don’t have any Encanto skills now...” Jace retorted before Izzy cut him off.

 

“Guys!” Izzy said, gesturing to Clary with a tilt of her head. Sadness radiated through their parabatai bond. For everything that Jonathan had done, he was still Clary’s brother. Neither of them had moved from Simon’s side until he had woken that morning so Clary hadn’t even begun to deal with what the loss would mean. 

 

“How do you feel about not being a vampire anymore?” Magnus asked. If anyone understood what it was like to lose a part of oneself that was so integral, it was him.

 

“Okay, I guess. I never really liked being a vampire anyway. I mean, the speed and enhanced hearing and stuff was good. But at least now I won't need fake IDs to drink at a bar. I’ll never have to say goodbye to my sister or Izzy. And maybe I can reconnect with my mom. Tell her I was lost at sea or something,” Simon said. He hadn’t really had time to think about it having only woken up that morning.

 

“Well, I’m here if you want to talk about it. Alec too,” Magnus said, smiling when Alec nodded. His husband also knew what it was like to go through such a life-changing experience. 

 

“Thanks,” Simon said, fighting the urge to get up and hug Magnus. He couldn’t if he wanted too, still too weak to move much. “Hey Cain, have you thought about what you’re gonna do now that you don’t have your mark? No offense but the subway tunnels sucked. You don’t have to hide away down there anymore,” he said, perking up.

 

“I don’t know what to do. I don’t have a family or a job. I’ve hidden for centuries. I’m not sure I even know how to live amongst other people anymore,” Cain said, realizing that he had some decisions of his own to make.

 

“I’ve got a spare room if you need somewhere to crash?” Simon said. Jordan would want the room to be used by someone who needed it and he was determined not to let Cain hide away anymore.

 

“That would be… nice. Thank you,” Cain said, bestowing a rare smile on Simon.

 

“I think my patients have had enough for one day,” Catarina said, watching Magnus’ and Clary’s eyelids droop. “You can all visit tomorrow,” she said, raising her hands to wave off the protests, knowing that they would all be okay tomorrow anyway. It wasn’t anything that a good meal and a decent night’s sleep couldn’t fix.

 

Alec thought he’d hugged everyone at least twice before they all trailed out the door, his mother eliciting promises of seeing them in the morning before she would leave. As much as he had missed them, it was nice to have a breather after everything that had happened. It had left him feeling emotionally and physically drained. 

 

Magnus gestured Catarina closer when she scooped Madzie up off of their bed. “Can we go up to Alec’s old room? I love Clary and Simon, and I like Cain but I don’t want to share my husband with them?” he asked quietly, meeting Catarina’s gaze when it widened.

 

“You got married, without me!” Catarina demanded, lowering her voice when Magnus shushed her. “You got married, without me?” 

 

“We thought we weren’t coming back. You heard Maryse. She won’t be happy until she’s planned a big wedding for us. You’ll be my best girl, won’t you?” Magnus asked, squeezing Catarina’s hand when her face softened. 

 

“Of course I will. Congratulations, to both of you,” Catarina said, leaning down to kiss Magnus’ cheek. “Thank you, for making my friend happy. I never thought I’d see the day,” she said to Alec before pressing a kiss to his cheek too.

 

Alec just shook his head. Of course, he wanted to make Magnus happy. They had vowed as much, to always make each other happy. How could he not?

 

“I can do one better. How about a portal to the loft?” Catarina asked, grinning when Magnus’ head snapped up. “Lorenzo vacated it after the whole lizard incident. I think the place gives him nightmares,” she chuckled.

 

“The loft it is then,” Magnus grinned. Hefting himself off of the bed, aching from head to toe and as tired as if he hadn’t slept in a week, he took Alec’s hand when his husband managed to drag himself off of it.

 

“We’re going home. Will you be okay here, Cain?” Magnus asked.

 

“Sure,” Cain waved them off.

 

“Tell Mom to come by the loft tomorrow,” Alec said to Clary; who looked like she was settling in for a cozy sleepover with Simon. Too tired to message Maryse and let her know their change of location, he smiled his thanks when she nodded and turned for the portal that Catarina created for them. He wasn’t stupid enough to think she wouldn’t be hovering around over the next few days. He wouldn’t even complain.

 

Magnus bent and pressed a kiss to Madzie’s cheek before leading his husband through to the loft. Well, leading was a strong word. They were both tired enough to shuffle through it.

 

Alec glanced around when the portal closed behind them. The loft was filled with Lorenzo’s stuff but he had no doubt that Magnus would clear it all out in the morning. Following Magnus into their bedroom, he smiled wanly when Magnus snapped his fingers and conjured them some fresh gold sheets.

 

With another wave of his hand, Magnus had him and Alec clean, too tired to bother getting a shower. All he wanted to do was sleep. Shrugging his gear off, he stole a few furtive glances at Alec.

 

“You’re quiet. Is everything okay?” Alec asked, shrugging his own gear off and climbing under the sheets. He noted that Magnus didn’t immediately snuggle in when he too climbed into bed.

 

“I was wondering if you had any regrets?” Magnus said, folding his hand under his pillow and rolling onto his side to face Alec.

 

“Regrets? About what?” Alec asked, feeling like a gulf had opened up in the space between them.

 

“About choosing this life. The danger has passed. We no longer have to spend our eternity in Edom. The choices you made when you became a vampire no longer apply. I don’t want you to regret those decisions you made when you thought that that was going to be your life,” Magnus said. _ I don’t want you to regret choosing me _ , he silently thought. 

 

Alec reached out and pulled Magnus to him, wrapping his husband up tightly in his arms. His hand found Magnus’ cheek, thumb sweeping over Magnus’ lip, as though he could wipe all of those words away.

 

“Magnus Lightwood-Bane. I promise to wipe away every tear that you will ever shed and to fill your days with enough love and happiness, that you will only ever cry tears of joy. I promise to stand by your side, every day, and to hold you close to me on the nights when forever is too much to handle,” Alec said, searching Magnus’ face as he repeated his vows.

 

“I will spend every day of our eternity easing that burden, ensuring that it isn't too much to bear. I promise to support your decisions, to advise you against your crazier plans and then follow you when you ignore me anyway. I promise to love you unconditionally, more than I have ever, or will ever love another living soul.

 

“I meant every single one of those words the first time I said them, and I still mean them now. I will never, ever regret choosing you,” Alec said, nosing Magnus’ face up to capture his lips.

 

Magnus sank into the kiss, relief swirling through him. He knew down to the depths of his soul that Alec loved him. He just wanted to be sure that Alec didn’t regret giving his mortality up.

 

“I love you too,” Magnus chuckled breathlessly when Alec let him up for air.

 

“Should I show my King just how much I love him?” Alec leered when Magnus entwined their legs and pressed every inch of his body to his.

 

“Ah yes, my bedroom attendant. That would be acceptable,” Magnus shrugged, a giggle escaping when Alec growled at him before rolling him onto his back and pretending to maul his neck. “You can show me over and over again, just in case I forget,” he said, tugging at Alec’s hair to pull him away from his neck.

 

The deep, gravelly moan that escaped Alec when Magnus pulled his hair and the lust that bloomed in his eyes promised that Magnus would never forget again.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Get your hats, tissues and Malec playlists ready!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the wait. But I know yall are gonna love this one. I cried like a bitch writing it. And I might have watched this scene a... few times. Purely for scientific research, of course. I had to get it right.
> 
> Obviously, I didn't write the first half of this chapter, I merely borrowed it from the show. The second half was all mine and was requested by my friend, A. She wanted an explanation for why Magnus and Alec looked so rumpled during the reception.

Alec gave Madzie the nod when the music started playing, smiling when she disappeared through the doorway- petals and leaves already blooming magically from her hands. It had taken his mother and Magnus a day to plan the wedding, his mother insisting that they have it at the Institute, despite Magnus’ protests. He was with his mom on this one.

 

“I’ll see you down there,” Catarina said, following her daughter down the aisle.

 

“You know, when you walked down the aisle to marry Lydia, I thought that I would never be prouder of you,” Robert said, reaching up to straighten Alec’s tie. “But I was wrong. I’m glad you didn’t marry her, that you found the courage to go for what you wanted. You and Magnus were meant to be,” he said.

 

“I wouldn’t have found that courage if it wasn’t for him,” Alec said, shuffling from one foot to the other while his father fussed over his tie and jacket. He wanted to be up there already.

 

“Nervous?” Robert asked, clapping Alec on the shoulder.

 

“No. I’ve never been surer of anything in my life, as I am about Magnus,” Alec said, a smile tugging up at the corners of his mouth as he reminisced about his and Magnus’ first wedding.

 

“Good. Then let’s go and get you married,” Robert said. He was glad his son had Magnus, Alec would need him over the centuries.

 

Alec walked through the door, unable to wipe away the grin that hurt his face. Exchanging smiles with his family and friends, he proceeded up the aisle with his father by his side, giving Robert a hug when they made it to the space that had been cleared in the middle of the op’s center. 

 

Alec glanced around at the candles and flowers, marveling at how Magnus had transformed the room with so little time. He nodded to Magnus’ friend, Jem, when he climbed the few steps, hoping that Jem would become his friend in time, too. Magnus only had Catarina and Raphael left from the old days so he had been happy to meet another of Magnus’ friends that afternoon.

 

Alec shook hands with Jace, doing his best to reign his emotions in when he saw how happy his parabatai was for him. They didn’t need a rune to proclaim them as such. Even death couldn’t break some bonds. He’d barely grasped Jace’s hand when the sound of footsteps reached him.

 

Turning to face the aisle once more, Alec’s still heart gave a little jerk in his chest. Neither his mother nor Magnus had said that Maryse would be walking Magnus down the aisle. It filled him with joy to see the two of them, striding arm in arm down the aisle, Maryse’s head held high and eyes sparkling.

 

Maryse tried to fight her tears but it was no good. She had been beyond proud when Magnus had accepted her proposal to walk him down the aisle and she couldn’t hold back the flood when she saw how happy Alec was as he waited for them to reach him. Much better than the apprehension he had been filled with when he had awaited Lydia.

 

Magnus had to pace himself, otherwise, he would be dragging Maryse up the aisle. He could marry Alec a thousand times and it still wouldn’t be enough. As much as he treasured their first wedding, he was ecstatic that their friends and family were getting the chance to witness them make a commitment to each other. For him, it was an honor to announce to the world that he had found his person.

 

“Thank you,” Magnus whispered when Maryse pressed a kiss to his cheek and held him as tightly as if she were holding her own child. Squeezing her hand, he turned for the small stage that had been put in place for them, giving his best girl a small nod. The smile on Catarina’s face was radiant.

 

Alec took a deep breath when everyone sat down, all of their family and friends waiting. The small nod from his husband had his nerves settling enough for him to start the vows that they had prepared. Not the ones from their first wedding, those vows belonged to them, and them alone. They were simply reaffirming what they already felt in their hearts.

 

“The love I have for you…” 

 

“Is a love that knows no bounds...”

 

“In times of joy, as well as sadness…”

 

“In sickness and in health…”

 

“I will love you as my equal…”

 

“And protect you above all else…”

 

“I will share with you my truest feelings…”

 

“And when you speak, I will listen…”

 

“I will catch you when you fall…”

 

“And when you soar, I will help you reach your greatest heights…”

 

“Magnus Bane…”

 

“Alexander Gideon Lightwood…”

 

“I am, and will always be, your loving husband,” they said in unison, hand in hand, meaning each new vow as much as they meant the old ones.

 

“It is my honor, to pronounce you, one,” Jem said, fighting the wobble of his chin and the lump in his throat to get the words out.

 

Alec pulled his husband closer, sinking into the embrace and Magnus’ kiss as the music swelled around them.

 

The applause that filled the room barely caught Magnus’ attention. He was too busy kissing his husband to notice. They couldn’t stay there forever though. Eventually, the noise cut through. Pulling back, he saw the promise of later in his husband’s eyes.

 

Alec couldn’t have wiped away his grin if he tried when he and Magnus turned to their guests and strode down the aisle, hand in hand. He grasped his mom’s hand when he saw the tears she was trying to wipe away before continuing down the aisle.

 

Magnus conjured leaves and petals, throwing them up in the air to float down around them as they exited the op’s center, heading for the training room where the reception was to be held.

 

** 

 

“I’m not standing on your feet, am I?” Alec asked his husband, still half giddy that he got to call Magnus that, half nervous about making a fool of himself in front of half of the Shadow World.

 

“How could you be? It’s like I’m walking on air,” Magnus asked, unable to stop the soft smile that graced his face as he moved to rest his chin on his husband’s shoulder. 

 

Alec let Magnus turn him around the floor, relaxing more with every turn. Magnus’ reassuringly firm grip on his hand, the pressure of Magnus’ hand in the middle of his back had his stomach flipping. In good ways.

 

“So… this new tux…” Alec murmured when everyone joined them on the dance floor, crowding them, forcing them to stand closer. Not that either of them found it a chore to stand a little closer. 

 

“My tux,” Magnus replied, his lips curving up at the corners. Alec’s voice had practically dropped an octave. “Do you like it?” he asked with a chuckle after letting Alec sweat for a moment.

 

“You look hot, Mr. Lightwood-Bane,” Alec graveled out, biting his lip when Magnus moved even closer until every inch of them was pressed together. “Just as hot in this as you were in the first one. I want to peel every layer off you,” he said as quietly as possible. The crowd mainly consisted of his family, Shadowhunters, and a whole lot of Downworlders.

 

“Do you want to get out of here, Alexander?” Magnus asked, just as quietly, Alec's name rolling off the tip of his tongue. “Maybe we could give your bedroom a final send-off?” he suggested; his lips barely an inch from Alec’s ear.

 

"Do you think anyone will notice?" Alec asked, looking around at all of their guests. The reception for their wedding was filled with dancing couples, everyone having fun. “Are we even allowed?” he asked.

 

"Allowed? It’s our day, we can do whatever we want. And I don't think any of them could care less," Magnus whispered, smirking when his breath left a trail of goosebumps down Alec's neck. Alec's gravelly tone had his dick twitching. He didn't care if anyone missed them. 

 

Alec tried to act naturally as he broke from Magnus' hold, happily threading his fingers with Magnus' to lead him out of the training room/reception venue. 

 

Magnus was happy to follow his husband through the op’s center, smiling for the benefit of the lingering guests that they passed. He took the few steps at the side of the room two at a time, keeping up with Alec step for step. 

 

Alec pulled Magnus' hand as soon as they made it to the quiet corridor that led to the accommodations, wrapping his arms around Magnus' waist, pressing Magnus into an alcove. 

 

"Here?" Magnus asked, his breathless tone ruining the smartass comment when Alec's lips found his neck. He slid his hands up Alec's arms to curl his fingers into Alec’s hair with a tight grip, his head tilting to the side to accommodate his husband. 

 

"Hmm?" Alec murmured, pressing open-mouthed kisses to Magnus' neck, his tongue occasionally darting out. The tug on his hair was doing things to him, stealing all of his focus. They could finally be a little rougher with each other now that his mark was gone. Well, Magnus could be a little rougher with him.

 

"You wanna do this here?" Magnus asked, his hips bucking forward when Alec's wandering hands slid around his waist, beneath his open tuxedo coat to grip his ass. 

 

Alec let out a soft moan when he felt the hard ridge of Magnus' dick dig into his thigh, completely forgetting where they were. "I love it when your voice goes all husky like that," he muttered, reluctantly dragging himself off of his husband. Keeping hold of Magnus' hand, he continued on his way, more than ready to consummate their marriage. Again.  

 

The next alcove and the sound of approaching footsteps had Magnus tugging Alec back, pulling Alec into the small space and throwing a glamour over them. The flair of Alec's pupils, at the use of his magic, had him slamming his lips to Alec's. 

 

Alec was a goner the second Magnus' glamour threatened to fall, the barest hint of gold flashing in Magnus' eyes before Magnus' lips caught his attention. He didn't even try to hold himself back, his tongue flicking out to lick into Magnus' mouth. 

 

A small growl escaped Magnus, mixing with the deeper moan that Alec was unable to hold back. He pushed his hands under the lapels of Alec's perfectly cut tuxedo jacket, wanting to pull it off then and there, even if his usual style was to savor it. 

 

"No," Alec said breathlessly, coming back to himself when Magnus started pushing his jacket off. "Bedroom," he muttered. 

 

Alec peeked out of the alcove, looking left and right before tugging Magnus in the direction of his old room. Magnus had summoned all of his things from the Institute when they’d woken that morning. Thankfully, Magnus had left the bed.

 

Magnus had the door open with a snap of his fingers, pushing Alec into the wood as soon as it was closed behind them. Letting his hands roam freely once more, he buried one in Alec’s hair, the other clutching the material of Alec’s jacket to pull him closer. 

 

Magnus pushed into Alec’s mouth, his tongue sliding against Alec’s. Not a fight for dominance, just a desperate longing to be joined with his husband as quickly as possible. The harsh, shallow breaths that puffed against his cheek, as Alec kissed him back just as fiercely, had his own lungs straining for air. He loved that he could still Make Alec breathless, even if he didn’t need to breathe.

 

Alec’s hands were doing some wandering of their own, his long fingers gripping Magnus’ ass firmly, pulling Magnus’ hips closer. Unable to help himself, he thrust his hips forward, meeting Magnus, grind for grind. He didn’t know whether he wanted to drag it out or have  Magnus buried inside him as quickly as he could.

 

Alec relented when Magnus’ hands once again found themselves under the lapels of his jacket, releasing his husband for a scant moment to shrug it off before he was pulling Magnus closer once again.

 

Magnus made to remove his own coat before Alec broke the kiss, Alec’s hands releasing his hips to grab his hands.

 

“Finally going to tie me up, Alexander?” Magnus asked with a smirk, a small bubble of laughter escaping when Alec’s grip tightened infinitesimally.

 

“No, I just wanted to… I mean… this tux,” Alec breathed, taking a step back so his eyes could rake over Magnus again.

 

“Well, you did say you wanted to peel it off,” Magnus murmured, meeting Alec’s gaze when his beautiful hazel eyes flicked up. The combination of Alec’s low, gruff voice, and his stunning eyes threatened to steal every last breath from his body.  _ What a way to go, though,  _ he thought.

 

Magnus leaned forward, pressing his lips softly to Alec’s before muttering, “Peel away.”

 

Alec needed no more instruction than that. Taking the lapels of Magnus’ coat in hand, he pushed it back at the shoulders, inch by inch, his dick growing harder with every millimeter that he removed.

 

Magnus watched Alec remove first his coat, then his vest, eyes flicking over every inch of Alec’s face. The desperation to have him naked was clear in Alec’s eyes but the slow, gentle movements of Alec’s fingers, undoing each button, the way Alec’s tongue flicked across his bottom lip spoke of a desire to take things slow.

 

Magnus knew exactly how Alec felt. He badly wanted to speed things up with his magic but the way Alec’s eyes flicked up to look at him stopped him.

 

Alec had to pull Magnus in for a kiss, pausing at Magnus’ cravat, too overwhelmed by how much he wanted his husband at that very moment. The soft, small lips, the perfect fit to his own slid across his own, grounding him. 

 

“I love you,” Alec murmured when he pulled back for a moment, going back for more when Magnus’ hands slid into his hair once more.

 

“I love you more,” Magnus whispered between kisses. A small chuckle burst from him when Alec huffed. Alec could huff all he wanted. The fact remained, he loved Alec more than Alec loved him.

 

“Not possible,” Alec grumbled, knowing for a fact that Magnus couldn’t love him more. He laughed against Magnus’ lips when he felt supple fingers tug at his belt buckle. Letting Magnus have at it, he broke the kiss to tug Magnus’ cravat loose, tossing it aside when it was undone.

 

Magnus pulled Alec’s belt free and tossed it away before flicking Alec’s button and fly open. Pushing his hands under the stretchy suspenders that now held Alec’s pants up, he wrapped them around his hands and pushed them over Alec’s shoulders, grinning when Alec lost his pants.

 

 “You seem mighty pleased with yourself, Mr. Lightwood-Bane,” Alec growled, kicking his way out of his shoes and pants. Taking Magnus’ top shirt button in his hands, he went a little faster than he wanted but was helpless to stop himself, sliding the frilly purple shirt over Magnus’ shoulders when he reached the last button. His tongue darted out as his eyes slid over Magnus’ firm, smoothe, golden chest.

 

“Who wouldn’t be?” Magnus said, his breath huffing out of him when Alec’s hands slid around the back of his thighs and hoisted him up once his shirt was gone. “Look what I get to unwrap,” he muttered in Alec’s ear as he wrapped his legs around Alec’s waist, gripping his husband’s shoulders until Alec spun and he was pressed into the door.

 

Alec would have gone for Magnus’ neck, itching to kiss every inch of it. If he didn’t see the blue sparks of Magnus’ magic from the corner of his eye. A groan escaped him when Magnus lazily twirled one finger in the air. Every rotation of Magnus’ finger popped one of the buttons on his shirt.

 

Magnus feasted his eyes on Alec’s chest as it was revealed, inch by inch. The flair of Alec’s pupils with every spark of magic he sent out was something that never failed to make his cock twitch. He rolled his hips in Alec’s hands, grinding his clothed cock against Alec’s stomach. When the last button popped, he snapped his fingers, the shirt landing at Alec’s feet.

 

“You’re cheating!” Alec muttered into Magnus’ neck. It was decidedly unfair that he was standing in his socks and boxers while Magnus still had pants on. And he knew exactly what Magnus was doing, trying to rile him up with magic. Well, two could play that game. 

 

Alec whirled on the spot, crossing the distance to the bed in an instant. His lips curved up at the corners when Magnus gasped for breath against his neck. Magnus was just as weak for his strength and speed as he was for Magnus’ magic. He chucked Magnus onto the bed before pouncing, landing between Magnus’ legs.

 

“My my, someone is pleased to see me!” Magnus panted when Alec’s fangs snapped out. The speed with which Alec had moved almost made him dizzy. He had been pressed against the door a moment ago. Now he was flat on his back on the bare mattress, Alec caging him in.

 

“Yeah, he is,” Alec said, pushing Magnus down into the mattress, his hips thrusting against Magnus’ ass to show his husband exactly how pleased he was to see him. His eyes lit up when Magnus’ glamour fell completely.

 

Magnus was about to make another smart-ass comment when Alec moved. Instead, he lay blinking down at his naked body when Alec used his superior speed to remove his pants, shoes and boxers. 

 

“What happened to the peeling?” Magnus asked breathlessly, watching Alec’s eyes devour his body as his husband tugged his own boxers off. Levering himself up on his elbows, he let his legs fall wide open.

 

“Taking too long,” Alec muttered, falling on Magnus’ body. He sucked biting kisses into every inch of it, letting his fangs graze over Magnus’ solid abs and ribs. He followed with sucking kisses whenever he reached a sensitive spot and Magnus curled over his head. Kissing Magnus like this was getting easier to manage without his fangs getting in the way, thankfully.

 

Magnus shuddered when Alec teased at the inside of his thighs, fangs dragging over his skin. Reaching down, he threaded his fingers through Alec’s hair, his head falling back when Alec’s tongue snaked over his sac. The pleasure increased when Alec sucked it into his mouth, massaging his balls with his tongue.

 

“Hey, you put your fangs away,” Magnus panted, only sulking a little. Alec’s control was improving day by day. While he was pleased that his husband was adjusting to life as a vampire, he kind of liked it when Alec went all animalistic on him.

 

Alec just hummed around Magnus’ balls, pretty pleased with himself. Holding his hand up, he waited until Magnus slicked his hand up with a snap of fingers before he wrapped his own fingers around Magnus’ length. He would have grinned when Magnus looked down at him but, well, he kind of had his mouth full.

 

Alec sucked away as he stroked Magnus’ dick, never looking away from Magnus’ golden gaze. One of his favorite things to watch was when Magnus fell apart. Small lines radiated from the corners of his husband’s eyes when Magnus’ eyelids drooped. The heavy rise and fall of Magnus’ chest, the sound of Magnus’ heart slamming in his chest was almost as good as the grip Magnus had in his hair.

 

Magnus couldn’t stop his hips from bucking into Alec’s tight grip. Even when Alec’s arm wrapped around his thigh to hold him in place he tried to fuck his husband’s hand. The grip was just too good. His eyeballs rolled back a little when Alec’s thumb massaged the sensitive glans with every upward stroke. 

 

Alec released Magnus’ balls with a pop, continuing to jerk Magnus off as he crawled up his body to capture Magnus’ lips, practically fucking into his husband’s mouth. He started twisting his hand when Magnus’ hands wandered down his back, arching into the touch of Magnus’ nails digging in.

 

Magnus tried to pull Alec closer, grinning into the hot and heavy kiss when Alec groaned into his mouth. He had missed scratching Alec’s back as much as Alec had. A whine escaped him when Alec’s grip on his dick loosened, he had been close. 

 

“Lube my ass up,” Alec whispered against Magnus’ lips when he felt the telltale jerk of Magnus’ thighs against him. Unable to help himself, he grinned when surprise flashed in Magnus’ golden eyes. 

 

Magnus had thought this was going the other way but he was more than happy to give his husband what he wanted. A complaint was on the tip of his tongue when Alec let go of his dick completely until Alec crawled over his head. He twisted when Alec shuffled toward the tall gray headboard and grabbed hold of it, offering his ass up.

 

Who was Magnus to refuse such a pretty offer? Climbing to his knees, he shuffled up behind Alec, kneeling between Alec’s legs. Needing more room, he nudged Alec’s knees further apart with his own knee before plastering himself to Alec’s back. 

 

Magnus rolled his hips a little when he wedged his slick cock between Alec’s ass cheeks. The friction was insane. Wrapping one hand around Alec's throat, he reached around and gripped Alec's dick with the other. Time for a little teasing of his own. He hadn't forgotten how Alec had nipped at the sensitive spots on his inner thighs. 

 

Alec buried his face in the quilted headboard when Magnus' fingers closed around his throat. They used to engage in breath play, now and then, before he had become a Vampire. While the grip didn't restrict his airways anymore, it still felt good against his throat. Not to mention the grip on his dick. 

 

Using the tiny amount of space that Magnus had left him, Alec rocked against Magnus' dick. The movement had him fucking into Magnus' hand too. His heart would have been beating furiously when Magnus' lips found his neck. 

 

"I love it when you turn so pliable for me," Magnus muttered against Alec's neck. Flicking his tongue out, he traced Alec's old rune into his neck. His husband was like putty in his hands, shuddering against him. 

 

“Carry on teasing me and you’ll be sleeping on the couch tonight,” Alec growled. He  _ had  _ turned pliable but he could still give as good as he got. The desperate rocking of his hips ruined the effect of the threat, as did the panting moans that he couldn’t hold back but Magnus sounded way too pleased with himself.

 

“You’d make your husband sleep on the couch on his wedding night?” Magnus asked with a grin, punctuating his words by snapping his hips forward.

 

“Fuu… I will if you don’t fuck me now, Magnus Lightwood-Bane!” Alec mewled, wrapping his hand around Magnus’, where it gripped his dick, to make Magnus jerk him harder.

 

“Well, if you insist,” Magnus chuckled before he nibbled on Alec’s earlobe. The move had Alec moaning, just how he liked it. When his husband whined his name out, he tugged his hand from beneath Alec’s. “Keep masturbating,” he said, leering the word until it sounded crude in Alec’s ear.

 

Snapping his fingers once more, lubing them until they were dripping, Magnus moved back an inch to give himself some room. It didn’t take him three seconds to find Alec’s hole.

 

Alec tried to push back when Magnus massaged the slick lube into the sensitive skin around his hole, wanting his husband to be inside him yesterday. When Magnus did push into him, stretching his hole beautifully, he buried his face in the headboard once more, jerking his dick furiously.

 

“Shit!” Alec moaned when Magnus shot intermittent bursts of magic into his ass. Every twisting thrust of Magnus’ fingers was accompanied by a spark of magic, opening him up quickly and battering his prostate. He was on the verge of cumming by the time he was fully loose around Magnus' fingers. 

 

"Don't cum yet," Magnus said, quickly pulling his fingers out of Alec's ass. Maybe he had gone too far. He reached around and gripped the base of Alec's dick until Alec calmed a little, not shaking so hard against him. 

 

Sitting back on his heels, Magnus gripped his dick with one hand and tugged Alec down, with his hand still wrapped around Alec's throat, until Alec was almost sitting in his lap. He trailed his dick through the crack of Alec's ass until he found Alec's entrance. 

 

Alec sank down onto Magnus'dick, moaning when he took Magnus deep into himself with a stretch that set his nerves on fire. His movements stopped when the back of his thighs met the front of Magnus', giving himself the chance to get used to being so full.  

 

Magnus curled his fingers over Alec’s throat, alternating his grip from a light caress to a tighter squeeze to distract his husband. He sucked a kiss into the spot where Alec’s pulse point should be, smirking into Alec’s skin as the fingers of his free hand traced patterns into Alec’s inner thigh.

 

Alec jumped under Magnus’ touch, desperate for Magnus’ hand to wander just a little higher and cup his balls for him. He did as his husband had instructed, jerking his dick with long, tight strokes that helped him relax fully.

 

“Ride my dick,” Magnus said, shooting a spark of magic into Alec’s most sensitive spot on his thigh. The trick worked when Alec rose, pulling up off his dick. The drag on his cock was phenomenal, Alec clenching down on him.

 

Tightening his grip on Alec’s throat a fraction, Magnus knocked Alec’s hand out of the way and took his dick in hand when Alec impaled himself. He set up a slow rhythm, matching his pace to Alec’s, countering each of Alec’s upward thrusts with a downward stroke. 

 

Alec was helpless but to chase his husband’s hand. Every time he pulled off of Magnus’ dick, Magnus would let him fuck into his hand until he was bouncing, fucking himself on and off Magnus’ dick. The stretch on his asshole faded away as he chased his pleasure, rolling his hips slightly every time he was seated in Magnus’ lap.

 

The movement had the desired effect on Alec, Magnus’ dick grinding against his prostate with every motion of his hips. 

 

“So pretty,” Magnus whispered in Alec’s ear, watching over his husband’s shoulder. Alec’s cock was weeping pearly beads of pre-cum, making him tighten his grip on Alec’s length. When Alec started to move faster, so did he, grinning when Alec figured out what he was doing. 

 

Magnus started thrusting up whenever Alec pushed down on his dick. Alec squeezed every inch of him as he fucked himself on his dick. The sound of their skin meeting rang louder and louder through the room with every thrust.

 

Magnus’ labored breathing made Alec work harder. It sounded a thousand times louder in his ear, small grunts building in the back of Magnus’ throat every time Magnus thrust up. Hearing those sounds in HD was so much better than when he used to hear them with his human ears. He wanted to hear more of them.

 

“Fuck me harder, Magnus,” Alec growled, insanely turned on when Magnus’ hand slid from around his throat to push into his hair, pulling his head back with a tight grip. He didn’t care how desperate and turned on he sounded. Neither of them ever did when they were together like this, lost in each other.

 

Magnus slammed up into Alec’s ass and kept on going, pushing until they were upright, both of them kneeling on the mattress. Tightening his grip in Alec’s hair, he held his husband in place against the headboard, jerking him harder, thrusting into him harder.

 

“Like this, hm?” Magnus asked, whispering the words in Alec’s ear, watching Alec grab the headboard with both hands, fingers sinking into it. “This is how you like it, isn’t Alexander? Your husband fucking into your tight little hole, owning it.”

 

“It’s yours,” Alec whimpered, rolling his hips to meet Magnus’ thrusts. Something about his husband taking charge like that, speaking like that made him weak. “More, fuck, more,” he pleaded, just needing that tiny bit of friction on his prostate to push him over the edge.

 

When Alec moaned for it, Magnus let go of his husband’s hair and dick and grabbed his shoulder and hip instead. Using his grip on Alec’s body for leverage, Magnus pulled out until he was on the verge of falling from Alec’s ass before slamming himself back in. 

 

“Yes! Fast and hard, just like that,” Alec said, gripping the headboard with his left hand hard enough for his fingers to rip through the material. Burying his fingers in the wooden frame beneath the material, he took his dick in hand with his right. There were certain perks to being a vampire. One of them was being able to jerk himself faster and faster. 

 

“Lube,” Alec moaned, thanking the angel when Magnus snapped his fingers and coated his dick once more. That was the downside of being a vampire, jerking himself so hard that he rubbed his dick dry. “Fuck… Magnus… I’m… fuck,” he stuttered out into the material of the headboard, cumming hard.

 

The sound of Alec’s orgasm spurred Magnus on. He dragged Alec’s hips back every time he fucked into his husband, picking his pace up. Alec, clenching on his dick, dragged him closer to his own orgasm.

 

“Come on, cum for me,” Alec groaned, shuddering from his release. Snagging Magnus’ hand where it gripped his shoulder tightly, he pulled. The maneuver had the effect of pulling Magnus’ chest flush with his back until Magnus was rutting into him- and pulling Magnus’ wrist within reach of his mouth.

 

Snapping one fang out, Alec dragged it down Magnus’ wrist, careful not to break the skin. The effect was instantaneous.

 

“Alexander!” Magnus choked out when he felt the danger of Alec’s fang on his skin. He wasn’t sure when that had become such a turn on for him but just imagining Alec sinking into his wrist had him burying himself to the hilt in Alec’s ass. “My fucking God!” he grunted.

 

“Yes, fuck, cum inside me,” Alec muttered, a shiver running down his spine when Magnus started grinding into him, flooding his ass with hot cum. He relished Magnus’ hot, grunting, breaths on his skin, leaning into it when Magnus pressed his face into his neck.

 

“I swear to God, you are going to be the death of me one day, Alexander Lightwood-Bane,” Magnus panted into Alec’s neck, his heart thundering in his chest. When Alec wriggled against him, he pulled out, his dick softening rapidly. He wanted to shove it back in when he saw his cum dripping out of Alec’s loose hole.

 

Alec collapsed onto the mattress, yanking at Magnus until Magnus’ was draped over him, Magnus’ face buried in his chest hair.

 

“Can you at least have the decency to pretend to be winded?” Magnus asked, his ego taking a hit. He was gasping for breath like an old man while Alec lay still beneath him. When Alec’s overexaggerated pants, punctured by a soft chuckle reached him, he aimed his elbow at Alec’s ribs.

 

“Fiesty! Ready for round two already?” Alec grinned when Magnus’ elbow found it’s way into his rib. He rolled them until he was draped over Magnus, looking down into his golden gaze.

 

“You wish,” Magnus huffed, looking up at Alec. Reaching out, he grabbed Alec’s bangs and pulled him closer. “Round two will have to wait until after the reception,” he murmured against Alec’s lips before claiming Alec’s groan.

 

Alec had forgotten that they had guests. At least they had managed to get some time alone before having to do the rounds and speak to everyone. No doubt, everyone would want a chat and a dance before the food, and in his case, blood was rolled out.

 

Knowing that they had to get back, Magnus pulled back from the kiss, rather regretfully, to clean them up with a wave of his hand. When they were cum free, he snapped his fingers and dressed them.

 

“Before we go down, I want to propose a toast,” Magnus said, snapping his fingers once more. He handed Alec a shot glass, filled with white liquid, and kept a shot glass of dark green absinth for himself. “Plasma,” he said when Alec looked at him questioningly.

 

Alec shrugged when Magnus told him what his drink was. He had heard of it but never tasted it. Knowing his husband, it was bound to be good. Magnus was the master of cocktails.

 

“To us and our long, happy future. May there be many more weddings, all followed by month-long honeymoons in the most luxuriously beautiful locations the planet has to offer,” Magnus said, clinking his glass with Alec. 

 

Alec grinned. He loved the sound of more weddings and could definitely get used to the idea of month-long vacations afterward. They needed one after what they had been through over the last month. Clinking his glass with Magnus, he downed his shot, almost collapsing when it exploded through his system. He liked plasma. A lot.

 

Magnus took deep breaths when he downed his shot, the ragged air almost choking out of him. It was strong as fuck. A few more shots and he and Alec would be on their asses. But first, they had a party to attend. 

 

Ruffled, hair looking fuck-rumpled, suit jackets hanging off them and ties loosened, Magnus and Alec made their way through the Institute. They enjoyed the ribbing good-naturedly when Jace and Simon shared a lewd wink, ready to celebrate their second wedding with the family and friends that descended upon them.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right folks. There's one more chapter after this one. As I said at the beginning, this was only ever going to be an alternative end to the show. But I think y'all will like what I do with the last chapter. Thank you so much for sticking around all these months. The usual announcements will follow at the end of the next chapter.


	21. Epilogue

Alec was zipping his suitcase up when Magnus walked into their bedroom with a glass of blood. The sound of the zip and Magnus’ stomping steps ripped through his ears, only making his head pound harder.

 

“Hair of the dog that bit you?” Magnus asked, holding the glass out to Alec as he tiptoed across the room. 

 

“Please, no,” Alec groaned. “I thought hangovers were a thing of the past,” he muttered, collapsing onto the bed.

 

“You were downing shots of plasma all night. It’s strong stuff,” Magnus said, sitting down next to Alec. In truth, he had woken up suffering just as much as his husband. Absinth was the only thing that could get a Warlock drunk. “There’s one of my best hangover cures in here,” he winked.

 

Alec practically snatched the glass from Magnus’ hand. Downing it in two gulps, he wrestled his stomach into submission. The potion took effect immediately. When the pounding in his head stopped and his stomach behaved itself, he dropped the glass onto the nightstand and wrapped his arms around Magnus.

 

“Wanna start early?” Alec whispered in Magnus’ ear, finding his husband’s pulse point with his lips. He thoroughly intended to make sure his husband knew how grateful he was.

 

“You really can’t wait until we get there, Alexander?” Magnus asked, flashing his cat eyes at his husband.

 

“Bali is so far away,” Alec muttered, skimming his nose up Magnus’ throat. He smelled divine. 

 

“It’s three seconds away by portal,” Magnus grinned, letting Alec push him back down onto their bed. Snapping his fingers, he sent Alec’s luggage to Ragnor’s old beach house where they would be spending the first week of their honeymoon. The house used to be his until he lost it in a bet to Ragnor. He knew his old friend wouldn’t mind.

 

“Three seconds is too long,” Alec said, throwing his leg over Magnus’ hip so he could make out with his husband properly. He had barely pushed into Magnus’ mouth when a fire message flashed in the air. 

 

“Seriously?” Magnus asked when Alec snagged the burning paper. Things had just been getting interesting! “Who is it from?” he sighed.

 

“Jia Penhallow,” Alec said, sitting up to skim the note, his eyebrows rising with every word. He handed the note to Magnus when he had read it.

 

“Your presence is required?” Magnus huffed, raising an eyebrow at his husband. “She does know you’re not a Shadowhunter anymore, right?” he asked.

 

“ _ Our _ , presence is required,” Alec corrected his man. 

 

“Hmm, let me see. A week in Bali followed by a week’s stay on a private island in the middle of the Caribbean sea. Another week on the Orient Express and then two weeks of hopping around Europe? Or... attending a meeting with your old boss?” Magnus weighed the options with his hands.

 

Alec snorted, tossing the paper over his shoulder. Even if a small part of him was still ready to obey the Clave’s demands. That small part niggled at him as he sank into Magnus’ kiss once more.

 

Magnus would have enjoyed the kiss if Alec was giving it everything he had. He could practically hear Alec’s thoughts whirling. He surged up, trying to drive the request out of Alec’s head. But it was no good. 

 

“We’re on our honeymoon!” Magnus groaned against Alec’s lips. 

 

“It’s not like we’re gonna miss our flight,” Alec said, biting into his lip. He must be crazy. Magnus was lying there with his Warlock mark in plain sight and his husband was gripping his ass tightly, just how he liked it. But the niggling voice in the back of his head wouldn’t leave him alone.

 

“We are portaling straight to Bali afterward,” Magnus muttered, sitting them up.

 

“Of course,” Alec said, smacking his lips to Magnus’ before climbing from his lap. He threaded his fingers through Magnus’ as Magnus waved his free arm, creating a portal that led to the New York Institute steps. 

 

“This is weird,” Alec mumbled as he knocked on the door. It took a moment but a Shadowhunter answered eventually. “We’re here to see Jia,” he said.

 

“Yes, Sir. She’s in your off… uh, your old office,” the Shadowhunter replied, stepping back for Alec and Magnus.

 

Magnus followed Alec through the Institute, wondering why he had to be there too. He hadn’t missed the way Alec’s shoulders had dropped a fraction when the Shadowhunter had said, “old office”. They made it to said office, finding Max with his ear pressed to the closed door.

 

“You in trouble, Max?” Alec asked, chuckling when Max jumped back from the door.

 

“Hey, big brother,” Max said, willing the sudden erratic beat of his heart to settle. He hadn’t been doing anything. “Hey  _ big _ brother,” he said to Magnus with a grin. 

 

“Are you calling me old,  _ little  _ brother?” Magnus asked, ruffling Max’s hair. The name had the desired effect on his smartass brother-in-law. A grin spread over his face when Max wrestled his hand away, huffing at being addressed as such.

 

“You need to keep up with your training while you’re here, go on, git,” Alec said, raising an eyebrow at his little brother until Max slunk off.

 

“Hm, your Head Of The Institute voice,” Magnus whispered, curling into Alec’s side. “I never did finish my training, either,  _ Sir, _ ” he said, batting his eyelashes at Alec.

 

“I’m sure I can think of a suitable punishment,” Alec said, not even trying to hide how low and gravelly his voice was. 

 

“I bet you could,” magnus replied, wondering if Alec’s old room was still free. The door, opening before them, stopped him from pushing Alec into the wall.

 

“Mr. Lightwood-Bane,” Jia greeted Alec with a nod. “Mr. Lightwood-Bane,” she said, assuming the man Alec was standing in the hall with was Magnus Lightwood-Bane. They had never met but she had heard… things. 

 

“Consul Penhallow,” Alec said, observing formalities as Magnus and Jia shook hands. The fact that most of his family, as well as; Underhill, Lorenzo Rey, and Simon, were in the office piqued his curiosity. And explained why Max had been listening at the door. 

 

Alec led the way when Jia gestured for them to come in. He had to hide his smirk when he saw that Underhill was practically sat in Lorenzo’s lap, knowing that Magnus was dying to say something.

 

“Now that everyone is here, we can begin,” Jia said, taking a seat behind the desk to address the room. “As you are all aware, the Clave has suffered its greatest loss in numbers since before the accords. With that being said, we have had to make some decisions regarding everyone’s roles within the Clave.

 

“Resouces are scarce so it has been decided that you will all be reassigned,” Jia said, turning to Underhill. “Mr. Underhill. I would like to offer you the position of Head of The New York Institute.”

 

Andrew’s eyebrows shot up. He looked around, wondering if the Consul was playing a trick on him. When nobody took the offer away or complained that he was only the head of security, he realized that it wasn’t a joke. The nods from Clary, and Jace, who he had assumed would have been offered the position, and Alec, had him accepting.

 

“Yes, Ma’am. Thank you, I’m more than happy to accept,” Andrew said, staring when Simon, who was sat on the chair next to him, held his hand up. 

 

“You’re supposed… like this,” Simon said, grabbing underhill’s hand and high-fiving him. The guy didn’t even know what a high-five was. “Congratulations,” he muttered when Underhill continued to look at him like he had two heads, much to Clary’s amusement.

 

Clary couldn’t help her snort, Simon was mortified. She fixed her face when Jia turned to her after giving Simon a long, hard look. He was only there because Izzy had refused to let him from her sight.

 

“Miss. Fairchild, Mr. Herondale. The Academy in Idris has been badly affected by recent events. The Shadowhunters who were running it were killed when Jonathan Morgenstern opened the rift. We need you both to run the Academy. From now on, all Shadowhunter children will be trained there and it is vitally important that we start training new recruits as soon as possible,” Jia said to Clary and Jace. 

 

After everything that the two of them had been involved in over the last few months, they wouldn’t have been Jia’s first choice but she didn’t have many options. She hoped that they would redeem themselves in the eyes of the Clave by accepting the positions. Plus, she couldn’t deny that they were two of her best, despite the many problems that had arisen because of their antics.

 

Clary exchanged a look with Jace, seeing her own shock mirrored in his eyes. The offer wasn’t what either of them had expected. When they had received the summons from Jia, they had both wondered if they were going to be punished for the things that they’d done while Jace was possessed by Lilith and she was with her brother. 

 

“We can make a fresh start,” Jace said to Clary, gripping her hand tightly. They had both wanted to make amends for what they had done. The others had reassured them that it wasn’t their fault but guilt ran deep. If they were being offered the chance, he wasn’t going to turn it down. 

 

Clary turned to Izzy, her heart breaking a little when she saw her parabatai smile for her, even if Izzy looked sad. They had only just formed their bond but it already felt like she would be ripping her right arm off if she accepted.

 

“We’re still parabatai. I can come and visit,” Izzy said, gripping Clary’s hand tightly. No distance could be put between them that would break their bond. She wanted to keep Clary with her but she didn’t want to be the one to hold her friend back either. So she could let her go. It was an amazing opportunity and she wouldn’t let Clary give that up. That wasn’t what being parabatai was about.

 

“We would like to accept the offer. Thank you,” Clary said when Jace and Izzy both nodded. 

 

“The Academy was pretty much decimated so it is going to take a while to rebuild. Until then, I have a mission for both of you,” Jia said, taking an iPad from her purse and handing it to Jace before returning to her seat. 

 

“Unfortunately, the Shadowhunter families that are currently serving the Clave don’t have enough children between them to provide another generation of Shadowhunters,” Jia continued. “On that iPad is a list of old Shadowhunter families who, for one reason or another, have broken with the Clave in the past. The people on the list are mundanes, descendants of those families.

 

“The Warlock Council has agreed to sanction a Warlock escort for the two of you. You are to portal to the locations on the list and enlist those mundanes. It is of the utmost importance that you convince as many of them as you can to join us,” Jia finished.

 

“They might not be able to ascend,” Jace said, clutching the iPad. If the offer to run the Academy was a surprise, it was nothing compared to this. The clave must be desperate. He knew that “for one reason or another” meant that the ancestors of the mundanes had probably been stripped of their runes and banished for some transgression. The Clave didn’t forgive easily.

 

“It is up to you both to inform them of the risks but we need new Shadowhunters,” Jia replied. When Clary and Jace agreed, she turned to Izzy. “Miss. Lightwood. The clave is in need of a new Inquisitor. Will you accept the position?”

 

“Me?” Izzy asked, her eyes going wide. She looked to Alec, shaking her head when her brother reached out and grabbed her hand, Magnus looking just as happy for her, before turning to her mom. The pride she saw in Maryse’s eyes made her stomach clench in the best way. “What about my father? He…”

 

“Your father is needed to rebuild the LA Institute,” Jia said, cutting Izzy off.

 

“But… Luke…?” Izzy asked, looking to Luke. He looked just as proud as her mother did.

 

“Mr. Greymark is needed elsewhere,” Jia said, shaking her head when Luke turned to her. “Miss. Lightwood. The position of the Inquisitor is an important one. It is an honor to be considered for the job. You come from a long line of Lightwoods who have held the position. I’m sure you would do as good a job as any of them. You’ve proven your capabilities during negotiations with Downworlders and your part in ridding us of Jonathan Morgenstern,” she said.

 

“Izzy, you’d be an amazing Inquisitor,” Clary said, taking her parabatai’s free hand in her own. Her stomach sank when she saw Izzy’s eyes flick to Simon. Izzy would get to move to Alicante with her and Jace but she would have to leave Simon behind. They would both have to leave him behind. Unless... 

 

“Consul Penhallow. I think I’ve found our first new Shadowhunter,” Clary said when the idea popped into her head. 

 

Simon looked around when first Clary, then Jace, then the rest of them turned to him. “Me?” he asked dumbly, staring at the smirk his best friend wore. He saw Jace’s eyes almost roll into the back of his head but Jace nodded at him nonetheless. 

 

“He already knows about the Shadow World,” Clary started when Jia opened her mouth. “And he’s a lot stronger than he looks. He can fight, he’s loyal, and he always does the right thing. He embodies everything a Shadowhunter should be,” she said with a grin for her best friend. 

 

“Thanks, Fray,” Simon said, feeling all warm inside. It would mean that he couldn’t go to his mom, tell her that his death was all a big mistake but if he was honest with himself, he didn’t know if his mother would be able to take one more hit like that.

 

“Mr. Lewis isn’t descended from Shadowhunters. He might not be able to take the blood of the Angel. If his body rejects the ascension, he will die,” Jia said. The mundane needed to know the risks. This death would be permanent.

 

“He’s already had the blood of the Angel,” Jace said, giving Simon another eye-roll when Simon’s face lit up. “Calm down, we aren’t going to be besties!” he muttered before turning to Alec.

 

Alec nodded. The Clave would find out eventually. The only people present who didn’t know were Lorenzo and Underhill. Underhill knew how to keep his mouth shut and Lorenzo probably had no interest in spreading the word. It was no secret that Lorenzo thought Warlocks were above the rest of the Shadow World. 

 

“When Simon became a Daylighter, it was because he drank my pure Angel blood. His body won’t reject it,” Jace said, watching Jia’s eyes flick from him to Simon to Alec. He could already see her calculating, trying to figure out how the Clave could use the information to their advantage. 

 

“If you are willing to take the risk, that is up to you,” Jia said to Simon. They needed Shadowhunters. If he wanted to risk it, knowing the danger, then it was up to him. 

 

“What do you think?” Simon asked Izzy. 

 

“If you move to Alicante and join the Academy then I’ll accept the Inquisitor job,” Izzy said, her stomach once again churning. She agreed with Jace. Simon still had Angelic blood in his system. She had tested it after Simon had turned back into a mundane. Not that all of them needed to know that. Especially not Jia. The Consul would find some way to make it work for her.

 

“Okay,” Simon shrugged, smiling when everyone congratulated him and Izzy. He had been a mundane and a Vampire and he was good at being neither. Maybe he would make a good Shadowhunter. And hopefully, he could change the Clave’s misconceptions and prejudices about mundies and Downworlders while he was at it. They needed fresh blood.

 

Jia nodded before turning to Luke. 

 

“The Clave needs to move forward, Mr. Greymark. After seeing the successes that Mr. Lightwood-Bane achieved with his Downworld Council, I’ve decided to reach out to all of the Downworld leaders and I want you to head up the efforts. The Warlock Council is already on board as is the Seelie Queen. 

 

“They have agreed to create a new Shadow council. Each faction will be represented by one of their people. If you accept you would become the representative for the Clave. The position requires you to liaise with leaders all over the world and convince the Vampires and Werewolves to join us but you would be based in Alicante,” Jia finished.

 

“I prefer to go by Garroway,” Luke said, taking a moment to think about the offer. He turned to Maryse, frowning when she just gave him a small, sad-looking nod. “I’m sorry. I can’t accept,” he said.

 

“Lucian, the Shadow World needs this. They need you. The Shadow World will only be stronger by working together,” Maryse said, squeezing Luke’s hand when he took hold of hers.

 

“And I need you. I wasted so many years by not going for what I wanted with Jocelyn,” Luke said, looking to his daughter, smiling for her when she gave him a thumbs-up, her eyes sparkling. “I won’t make that mistake again,” he said.

 

“Mr. Garroway. You are the only one that can take this role up. The Downworld knows you, they trust you. You’re the only Shadowhunter who can convince them to cooperate with us,” Jia said, giving Alec a pointed look. She could have said the same of him if he hadn’t turned.

 

“I’m sorry. You’ll have to find someone else,” Luke said firmly. He wouldn’t give up Maryse for the sake of making life easier for Jia.

 

“Maryse. Would you consider moving your store to Alicante?” Jia asked, seeing the firm set of Luke’s face.

 

“You won’t even let Downworlders set foot in Alicante. Why would you let a mundane move there?” Maryse asked skeptically.

 

“Because the Clave needs to move forward. Things are changing. With a new council, one where everyone has a voice, the gates of Alicante will be open to all. Unfortunately, after Mr. Morgenstern’s attack, there are plenty of empty premises for you to choose from. You and Downworlders will be welcome there,” Jia said. They needed Luke if it was to work. If they came as a deal package then so be it.

 

Maryse looked at Alec and Magnus. All of her children had been offered a place in Alicante except them. 

 

“You have to do what is right for you,” Alec said, refusing to be the reason that his mother didn’t go for what she wanted. She deserved that after what she had been through over the last few months, a chance at happiness.

 

“Yes. I’d move there,” Maryse said to Jia. If Alec and Magnus could visit then she could move there for Luke and for the people he would help. And she would be close to her kids.

 

“Then I’ll accept the job on the condition that Maryse can travel with me. You lost one of our best diplomats when you took her runes,” Luke said, refusing to back down from the look Jia gave him.

 

“That is acceptable,” Jia said, silently conceding Luke’s point, even if Maryse was never meant to have anything to do with the Clave again. Maryse had still been one of their best diplomats when she had been a Shadowhunter. It wouldn’t hurt the Clave’s cause to have her help.

 

Jia turned to Alec and Magnus, taking in Magnus’ skeptical look, which he didn’t bother to hide, and Alec’s curious expression. Which he did try to hide. She had saved them until last on purpose, hoping that Alec would be persuaded if his siblings agreed to their new positions. 

 

“Mr. Lightwood-Bane… Alec. I would also like to offer you a place in Alicante,” Jia said, holding her hand up when she saw Alec and Magnus take each other’s hands. She had already anticipated resistance. “I understand that you no longer owe us any allegiance but we need your help and you would be paid handsomely for it.

 

“I would like you to help Mr. Herondale and Miss. Fairchild run the Academy. It is the Clave’s hope that Downworlders and Shadowhunters can work together. You are in the same unique position as Mr. Garroway. You have been a Shadowhunter and are now a Downworlder,” Jia said.

 

“Why would that make a difference?” Alec asked, frowning at the request. “I don’t have any affiliations with the Downworld beside my husband. No one is going to listen to me when I tell them they should work with the Clave. And honestly, do you think any of them are going to trust me if I train Shadowhunters to hunt them?” he asked. 

 

“You misunderstand. You wouldn’t just be training Shadowhunters, you would be training Downworlders too,” Jia said, her eyes flicking around the room. The surprise that she saw in each pair of eyes was expected. 

 

“You were one of our finest, Alec. You know how to train Shadowhunters of the highest standard. You can also do that for Downworlders, show them how we can all work together to protect this world from future demon invasions. 

 

“Along with the responsibility of running the Academy, Miss. Fairchild will be responsible for teaching demonology classes and rune studies. Mr. Herondale will be tasked with teaching the Clave’s history and ensuring that the new recruits are mission ready. While they will both be expected to help train the new recruits in combat, you will be the head of combat training and weapon study. You now have certain advantages that they don’t and the Downworlders are more likely to listen to one of their own,” Jia said.

 

Alec shared a look with Magnus, seeing his own surprise mirrored on his husband’s face. This was a huge leap forward for the Clave and Downworld alike, the first step for peace between the two. There was only one problem. “In case you didn’t notice, Consul, I have just gotten married,” he said.

 

“I did notice. That is why Mr. Rey is here,” Jia said, nodding to Lorenzo.

 

“The Clave and the Warlock Council have come to several agreements over the last few days,” Lorenzo said, addressing Magnus. “One of which is that you will be offered the position of High Warlock of Alicante, Magnus.”

 

“There’s no such thing as a High Warlock of Alicante,” Magnus said, wondering if Lorenzo had lost his mind. Shadowhunters didn’t let Warlocks live amongst them.

 

“The Clave sees the need for one,” Lorenzo said, hiding the smirk that threatened to break loose. It had been a particularly sweet moment when the Clave had come begging for the Warlock Council’s help.

 

“Alicante was almost destroyed. We need help to rebuild and to protect the city,” Jia agreed, as much as it pained her. “With the influx of Warlocks that we expect over the next few months, they will need a leader. Someone to speak on their behalf and look after their interests. We realize that you and Alec won’t want to be separated so soon after marrying. It is the best solution for everyone.” 

 

Magnus considered the information, catching Alec’s gaze. He would have thought Lorenzo would have asked for the position but by the way Lorenzo and Andrew were wedged together, he thought that Lorenzo would probably be more than happy to remain High Warlock of Brooklyn. As much as he wouldn’t admit it to Lorenzo, he missed being High Warlock. He liked having Warlocks rely on him. It made him feel useful.

 

“What do you think?” Magnus asked Alec. If someone had told him a few months ago that he would be asked to move to Alicante, he would have laughed in their face. Then again, if someone had told him a few months ago that he would fall in love with a Shadowhunter and marry them, he would have done more than laugh in their face. He would have escorted them to the Silent Brothers.

 

“We would be close to the family. And it would give us something to do,” Alec said, turning the possibilities over in his head. They had only been back from Edom for three days. They hadn’t even thought about what they were going to do next beyond getting married. They both had a lot of time on their hands. And the positions were ones that they could hold for years. Indefinitely if it worked out.

 

“You will both be well paid for your positions and the Clave can provide accommodations,” Jia said, hoping that would sweeten the deal.

 

“Accommodations would be unnecessary,” Magnus said. He wouldn’t turn down the handsome paycheck, however. When Alec nodded, he turned to Lorenzo. “Tell the council I accept.”

 

“I will inform them and start making the arrangements,” Lorenzo agreed with a tentative smile. Before the wedding, he had met with Alec and Magnus. They had informed him of what had happened in Edom and about his father’s betrayal. He couldn’t say that the death of his father was something he regretted. They had done him a favor.

 

“You have yourself a new Head of Combat,” Alec said to Jia, grinning when his family breathed a collective sigh of relief, Izzy squeezing his hand. 

 

“Excellent. Your first mission will be to oversee the rebuilding of the Academy. You know what we will need. I want a state of the art training facility. Budget is no of no concern,” Jia said, gathering her things up. She needed to get back to Alicante and start on the paperwork.

 

“Of course. I will start in a month,” Alec said, smiling when Jia stopped shoving stuff in her purse, an incredulous look on her face. “My husband and I have our honeymoon to enjoy first,” he said, silently adding that he was no longer the Clave’s bitch. He would take the position but he would do it his way.  _ After _ he enjoyed five long weeks of sun, sand, and crazy wild sex with his hot husband.

 

“Of course,” Jia said, plastering a smile onto her face as she shoved the last of her things into her purse. “I’ll see you then,” she nodded to everyone else before departing.

 

Everyone burst into laughter when Jia left. She was obviously smarting over the delay.

 

“We’ll all be together,” Maryse said when everyone stood, pulling all of her children into a family hug and glaring at Magnus until he waded in and joined them. 

 

“Will you help out as a guest lecturer?” Jace asked his mom. She had been an excellent Shadowhunter. “You too, Iz? And you, Luke? Alec will probably need the help,” he cracked a smile when they all agreed, dodging back from the elbow Alec aimed at him.

 

“Of course. I can keep an eye on Simon,” Izzy said, sliding her hand into Simon’s before leaning in. “I can help train my big strong Shadowhunter,” she whispered in his ear, grinning when his face lit up.

 

Alec cleared his throat, trying not to pull a face when he heard his sister’s whispered comment. “Come on, let’s let the Head of The Institute enjoy his new office,” he said, reaching out to shake Andrew’s hand before they all departed, Magnus, shaking hands with Lorenzo. They both noted with a grin that Lorenzo seemed to be in no hurry to leave.

 

“Enjoy the desk, I know we did,” Magnus muttered under his breath as he let go of Lorenzo’s hand, silently adding the couch, the balcony, the rug in front of the fire, all of the guest chairs... The snort that erupted from his husband had him winking at Alec before taking his hand. 

 

Everyone insisted on accompanying Magnus and Alec to the front of the Institute to see them off on their honeymoon. They all hugged on the Institute steps before parting ways, excitement running through the group for the fresh start that lay ahead of them. 

 

When the others headed back inside to make arrangements for the move to Alicante, Magnus took Alec’s hand in his. “Ready for a vacation?” he asked, feeling more optimistic about the future than he had done in weeks.

 

“Lead the way,” Alec said, entwining their fingers, already anticipating trying the bed out in their first location. He glared down at the outfit he was wearing when Magnus snapped his fingers and dressed them both in bright Hawaiian shirts and very short shorts. The flip flops were a revolation.

 

“Don’t look at it like that. It will soon be decorating the bedroom floor,” Magnus winked when he saw Alec glaring at his shirt, creating a portal. Alec didn’t need much encouragement, scooping him up with a speed and strength that would never fail to take his breath away. “To Bali!” he yelled as he wrapped his arms around his husband’s neck, ignoring the mundanes who looked blindly around for the source of the sound. 

 

“Yes, My King,” Alec grinned, burying his face in Magnus’ neck as he dived through the portal. He liked the sound of his shirt ending up on the bedroom floor and couldn’t wait to divest his husband of his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of that but a new start for them. I hope you all liked the way I wrapped it up. Thank you all for the amazing support you've given this story. I've treasured every hit, comment, and Kudo. 
> 
> Most of you are probably aware that December will be taken up with my third Smut Challenge. Thanks to all of you who have submitted prompts. I'm taking a couple of weeks to finish Tentacletober and then I'll be writing them up but I'll try and continue with Serendipitous while I'm at it. After the new year, I should be able to return to The Divide so a couple of busy months are ahead but I appreciate your patience. 
> 
> Until the next, take care <3

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts? please leave me a comment to let me know what y'all think. Kudos are also gratefully received. 
> 
> If anyone would like to live tweet, the hashtag is #BiteMeFic


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